Grow your own dinner 2014

JellyBox

annie123 wrote: »

Welcome to the thread JB
The 1st year in a new garden is always a learning curve.
My son has a north facing garden and grows all sorts of things but it's needs treating as though it has a shorter growing season as the sun has to be high in the sky for enough sun to reach his tomatoes for example which need sun.
Watch and record how far down the garden the sun reaches this year, it will make planning for next year easier.
You will be able to grow lots of lovely salad leaves in the hight of the summer when others are bolting, the same with spinach.

As long as you don't expect bumper crops from everything, you'll be fine.

That's really useful, thank you I am considering dumping a pot of tomatoes out the front too, loads of sun, but we live on a main road, so I'm not sure how pollution would affect stuff, or how well any plant would survive the school kids.

I guess I am doing the right thing to do pots this year and watch the garden over the summer to plan properly for next year then?

sparrer

annie123 wrote: »

Sparrer is that the flyer I've seen in the stores from time to time? or where can I get a voucher please?

I never think to pick up the flyers, so don't know what's in them. The voucher was a till spit annie.
I bought grass seedx2, a Bleeding Heart, a mushroom grow kit which supposedly produces several crops, some seed discs and red onion sets, total £6 or with the voucher £5 - then they gave me another voucher! Had to get rid to a friend quickly or I'd be in there again buying stuff I have no room for
I've just been promised some tomato plants when they're big enough to plant out. I use the Mr M flower buckets for these, they sell them at 8 for £1 which gives me enough tomatoes to see me through and to share with my DD and my neighbour.
If this weather lasts I'll be in the garden to get everything prepped and ready for planting. Can't wait for the frosts to go.

bouncydog1

DH has c1000 feet of greenhouse that we rent very cheaply. Managed to pick up a rotovator for £50 (plus £300 in repair bills it's still good value - apparently)! Manure is produced either by our own horse or fro. Friends horses who are all fed well so good stuff goes in the ground!!

He runs this spare time after his usual 37 hour job as it's relaxation time. We have: rhubarb, asparagus, butternut squash, two varieties ofearly potatoes, santini tomatoes, some sort of gold tomatoes, aubergines, cauliflower, carrots, peas, beans, leeks carrots, 4 varieties of chilli. Fennel, artichoke, 3 types of peppers and probably more stuff.

I grew up in a growing family - business as usual even on Christmas Day - so dont want any involvement in the growing - but the cooking and eating - nothin more exciting and tasty than 2 hours from ground to table.

annie123

mothernerd wrote: »

Two heads are better than one so - give me your thoughts.

Welcome to the thread.
In the nicest possible way my first thought was I wish you'd put some paragraphs in so it was easier to read My eyes are not what they used to be.

Re lugging bags back, call a local garden centre to see if they deliver. Our local one will for £3 or free if over £25 on most things.

Whilst you want to sell, do remember that viewers may be GYO types themselves or interested in doing that so you could use it to your advantage to show what can be grown.

I've moved mid season and made sure that before the place went up for sale that everything I wanted to take was either in pots or in friends gardens (my raspberries for example).
It's easy for a buyer to imagine a space without the pots should they wish to do something else with it.

Start with the front, curb appeal, pots of flowers etc clean and tidy. Once you have pots of stuff it's easier to see what's left to deal with. Then report back here (photo's help) and I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas.

annie123

bouncydog1 wrote: »

DH has c1000 feet of greenhouse that we rent very cheaply.

Your greenhouse is bigger than my garden *sulks*

sparrer

bouncydog1 wrote: »

DH has c1000 feet of greenhouse
.

annie123 wrote: »

Your greenhouse is bigger than my garden *sulks*

That greenhouse is bigger than my garden and my house put together! :rotfl:

bouncydog1

It's massive. He has approx quarter! I really do take my hat off to him because the sheer size to me is off putting - but he is not one to shy away from hard work - just keeps doing a bit every day. That's probably why he looks quite fit for 56 - apart from the grey hair!!! :rotfl:

agreenmess

Wow I'm in love with the size of that greenhouse, how I wish I had one, looking forward to hearing what you are going to be putting in it!!! NOM nom

Spent a lovely Sunday up at the lottie between the rain, hail and cloud. Managed to dig over another raised bed, all ready for the peas, carrots and parsnip . Also planted the 6 fruit bushes I bought last Wednesday with some strawberry plants infront. Thinking as I am going to be moving the rest of my fruit bushes into there final place next year and putting strawberries infront of them I might put some fleece over them (the strawberries) to see if I can get an earlier crop!

Loving how my lottie is progressing. Oh and thanks for the link to the potato bags, never thought of using them, so might buy a few for the lottie and try that as well as putting them in the ground.

lemonjelly

Props to little vics for starting the thread!
has MrBE shown his face yet?
Anyways, it's January. That means stay inside & stay warm!
I'll be back in a couple of months (if we haven't got snow!)

Little_Vics

It will come as no surprise to know that I did no gardening this weekend. I have, however:

1. received lettuce seeds and gardening vouchers for a birthday gift
2. persuaded a chum to start stuff off in her polytunnel for me

That'll do for January.