Grow your own dinner 2014

zafiro1984

Rain - yipee, two nights on the run, first rain in weeks.

There's a roe deer with fawn under the trees in the garden at the moment, so very well camouflaged I almost missed it.

Happygreen

2 courgette plants didn't make it over my absence, OH must have forgotten to water them although he doesn't admit to it . I was looking forward to going to the plot today and tidy up/harvest but it's raining, so housework instead the birds didn't leave many currants - I watched a pigeon fly in there this morning!!! I did not get a single cherry, suppose I'm growing the tree for firewood rather than cherries...noe pears or plums but the apple harvest looks promising this year which really cheers me up as I had planted one tree only to pollinate one of the complicated ones (don't ask for details, I now have forgotten) and it seems to have worked! Looking forward to eaters rather than Bramleys which always do well

fairynuff27

Hi all,

I've just read through the boards after clicking on the link in last Wednesday's email. I'd like to join in, if I may?

I haven't posted on MSE since about 2009, when I was made redundant and suddenly found myself needing a lifestyle overhaul. Since then, I've met the man of my dreams, got married, had twins, and am currently trying to set myself up freelance. The garden has become a major part of my life as it is currently helping to feed a family of 4 on one salary. (It's also helped me lose 3 stone of baby weight - much cheaper than the gym!)

I'm growing potatoes (harvested our third bag of earlies this week), carrots, turnips, beets, marrow, squash, lettuce, chicory, radish, nasturtiums, borage and oca in the "allotment" (an overgrown area of land adjacent to the house that I have been granted access to by the landlord, aka F-I-L). I also have a fruit cage with blueberry bushes in so far. I did have tomtato via the offer in MSE, but lost all three to blight.

On the patio I have hanging baskets with different tumbling and bush tomatoes to see what's easiest to grow here. So far we've been eating off a red tumbling tom, the rest are yet to ripen. I also have a hanging basket of alpine strawberries and pots of sonata which have finished fruiting, but have lots of runners I'm propagating. I also have peppers, chillis, lots of herbs, sorrel, more carrots and butterbush squash in pots on the patio. And an old bamboo suitcase that is currently my "kitchen garden" salad bed, with lettuce radish and chicory, and beets for greens only.

Being a total novice gardener, I often have questions which I wish I had a community to ask about. I mostly just google, but would love to be able to talk through things here with you guys!

suzeesu2000

Hello fairynuff, welcome to the merry band.

Sounds like you have a lot going on!!

fairynuff27

Thanks suzeesu - I'm trying to squeeze in as many edibles as possible!!

Happygreen

fairynuff27 wrote: »

Thanks suzeesu - I'm trying to squeeze in as many edibles as possible!!

Welcome and good luck with your edibles!

Happygreen

The rain has stopped so I'll be out there replacing at least one courgette plant with one I had left in a pot. Harvest of first potatoes in a bag, the ones planted in the ground need blighted leaves taken off. I'm a bit surprised as I usually get a blight warning per email. All else will be weeding, weeding, weeding after I'd been away for 10 days - after all that rain as a welcome I will need a bug repellent to go out or will look like having chicken pox afterwards

fairynuff27

Happygreen wrote: »

Welcome and good luck with your edibles!

Thanks Happygreen!

WantAnOrange

Hello, can I ask a bit of advise please? I have 4 courgette plants and 4 patty pans and all are growing fantastically, it is like a jungle out there! However, the fruits themselves, although there are several, are really small and going ripe very quickly. What can I do to get the to grow bigger? Last year my courgettes were very successful and would grow to marrow sized if I didn't pick 'em quick enough! Could it be not enough water? It is incredibly hot here, they are in a very sunny spot and we are on a water meter.

Any advise greatly appreciated. x

Happygreen

WantAnOrange wrote: »

Hello, can I ask a bit of advise please? I have 4 courgette plants and 4 patty pans and all are growing fantastically, it is like a jungle out there! However, the fruits themselves, although there are several, are really small and going ripe very quickly. What can I do to get the to grow bigger? Last year my courgettes were very successful and would grow to marrow sized if I didn't pick 'em quick enough! Could it be not enough water? It is incredibly hot here, they are in a very sunny spot and we are on a water meter.

Any advise greatly appreciated. x

How small, roughly?