Grow your own dinner 2014

Jazee

Morning all. I'll be planting shallots today. According to tradition it should be tomorrow apparently, shortest day and all that, but I'm a rebel, what can I say!

Happy Christmas to you all.

Dizzy_Ditzy

Life doesn't half get in the way of all things garden!

We bought a chicken run which is currently stashed in various places around my house :rotfl: I'll be buying a house soon then I can crack on with getting the plot ready for my girls I'll get the run put up first then order the house I think. I don't have the space to keep it at home beforehand

Really looking forward to getting stuck in next year :j i only got my allotment at the beginning of June and managed to get loads out of it, so with two plots and a full year, the possibilities are endless

Sadly my plan to grow my Christmas dinner this year won't be happening, all that will be ready is a Savoy cabbage. The brocolli is growing but isn't anywhere near ready. Same with the sprouts

Thank you all for your encouragement this year. I've learnt a lot and will be coming back for more next year!

Happy christmas to you all, and may 2015 be happy, healthy, wealthy amd productive for all of you

carolbee

Hi, can I join in please?

We have our first allotment, now all dug over and are planning away.

Has anyone successfully grown the fruit bushes from the likes of £land, aldi, Wilkes and lidl? Am keeping an eye on their websites.

We have inherited a LOT of autumn fruiting raspberries and been given strawberries, but fancied blackcurrants and gooseberries. As on limited budget was somewhat surprised at the prices of some of the fruit bushes, but I guess you sometimes get what you pay for? Have put a request on freecycle too.

Happygreen

carolbee wrote: »

Hi, can I join in please?

We have our first allotment, now all dug over and are planning away.

Has anyone successfully grown the fruit bushes from the likes of £land, aldi, Wilkes and lidl? Am keeping an eye on their websites.

We have inherited a LOT of autumn fruiting raspberries and been given strawberries, but fancied blackcurrants and gooseberries. As on limited budget was somewhat surprised at the prices of some of the fruit bushes, but I guess you sometimes get what you pay for? Have put a request on freecycle too.

A merry welcome, carolbee !
I think the budget plants tend to be on the smaller side so the wait until you get a harvest will be longer by a year or 2. I would not spend too much on them myself unless you fancy rare or special varieties. I've grown them from cuttings and runners myself but that's more of a long-term endeavour

Dizzy_Ditzy

Thomson and Morgan have got 20% off everything until midnight tonight

I'm itching to get started. I just have to be patient :rotfl:

zafiro1984

Are we having a 'Grow your own dinner 2015' thread. Can you post on here when it is set up so I can transfer.

Queen of Cheap I had an email for the T&M offer yesterday, but I'm really annoyed :mad: with myself as I was busy and forgot about it until reading your posting - hope you got what you needed, it really was too good to miss. I'm going to spend time over the next few days sorting out what I have and what I need in seeds for next year. I've decided not to go too mad and only grow the things we eat.

By the way I've found that Runner beans shredded and frozen defrost and cook much better than french beans which tend to be a bit soggy. I don't blanch but freeze within a few minutes of picking. Has anyone else got experience of using home grown frozen vegs - I'm trying to be as self sufficient as possible and hopefully will use a freezer as 'storage'

carolbee

£land got soft fruit bushes and onion sets.

Would love to join in grow your own for 2015

Dizzy_Ditzy

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Are we having a 'Grow your own dinner 2015' thread. Can you post on here when it is set up so I can transfer.

Queen of Cheap I had an email for the T&M offer yesterday, but I'm really annoyed :mad: with myself as I was busy and forgot about it until reading your posting - hope you got what you needed, it really was too good to miss. I'm going to spend time over the next few days sorting out what I have and what I need in seeds for next year. I've decided not to go too mad and only grow the things we eat.

By the way I've found that Runner beans shredded and frozen defrost and cook much better than french beans which tend to be a bit soggy. I don't blanch but freeze within a few minutes of picking. Has anyone else got experience of using home grown frozen vegs - I'm trying to be as self sufficient as possible and hopefully will use a freezer as 'storage'

I'm itching for a new 2015 thread but might be wise to wait until 2015 :rotfl: I'm quite happy to start it

I avoided T&M this time round as they're always sending out various offers, quite often more useful than the previous offer, so I'm waiting until I can get a better deal from them :rotfl: I also need to sit down amd work out what I already have amd what I need. Will be much more cost effective that way.

Wonder if we can set up some kind of MSE seed swap?

Most of my frozen veg is french beans and runners and I've not had any probs with them

Living_proof

Please count me in for 2015. I have just been given an allotment - thought I would be on the waiting list for a couple of years, but one has been offered within a week and as it is right next to the tap and close to the entrance for access, I have agreed even though it's possibly the worst time in that I've just gone self-employed so am both broke and should be spending most of my time working. Also it's just me in my household now so instead of growing huge quantities of everything I will have to cultivate the fruits and veg which I wouldn't otherwise afford to eat. I don't see the point in growing too many carrots or onions, for instance, as they are so darned cheap in store although fresh, young veg. is always tastier I confess. There is just a limit to the number of veg a girl can eat a day!

Dizzy_Ditzy

Living_proof wrote: »

Please count me in for 2015. I have just been given an allotment - thought I would be on the waiting list for a couple of years, but one has been offered within a week and as it is right next to the tap and close to the entrance for access, I have agreed even though it's possibly the worst time in that I've just gone self-employed so am both broke and should be spending most of my time working. Also it's just me in my household now so instead of growing huge quantities of everything I will have to cultivate the fruits and veg which I wouldn't otherwise afford to eat. I don't see the point in growing too many carrots or onions, for instance, as they are so darned cheap in store although fresh, young veg. is always tastier I confess. There is just a limit to the number of veg a girl can eat a day!

I'm also about to find myself self employed but one of my plans is to try and make as much money from my plots as I can- selling surplus plants etc. I refuse to let work get in the way of allotmenting this year :rotfl: