The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

Fruittea

Hi there growers
Silvertabby you have prompted me to take a look through the chilli seed box - as it's the right time to sow - I didn't grow them last year as I still had plenty over and still have some dried. But it will be fresh chillis this year.
I cooked the last of my charlottes last night. So it will be the local farm shed for potatoes for me now. Although I do a 2 tubs that I should check - not holding out much hope there. Still plenty of other veg in freezers etc. I'm going to audit the second freezer later today just to check on the stocks - hopefully there will still be plenty to keep me going.
All the best.

unrecordings

...on to this year. Mobility is a bit of an issue, and kneeling down can be challenging (well getting back up again is - those Kneelo pads are really helpful though), so I increased the height of one of the raised beds - it's earmarked for potatoes this year. I have onions & garlic in the ground and will be trying shallots for the first time when my broccoli comes out. Everything else is shall we say TBA

Jazee

Morning all. My tunnels, linings and grow bag arrived a couple of days ago. Not sure when I'll get out to set everything up due to my sprained ankle still, but beginning to get excited about the growing season ahead.

Will check on the garlic and onions today and harvest some rocket to go with our lunch. My salad this winter has been more successful than last summer.

Honeysucklelou2

May I join in?! I grow in raised beds as ground is clay and gets very wet . I have used 3 beds to put in soft fruit, so have raspberries, gooseberries, black currants and recurrants. Also put in a jostaberry. Need to be more organised with netting the bushes as the birds seem to have as much as we do!
Started sowing today! Just put some sweet pea seeds into cardboard tubes and have sown some antirrhinum (snapdragon) seeds. Have 2 daffodils in flower in the garden and the camellia has started flowering, despite the colder weather.

smeeinnit

Hello all

First time checking in here

I grew a few potatoes last year but was largely a failure due to pesky slugs and wrong choice of potato. Many lessons learned so this year will be back for more with hopefully more suitable varieties for me. I'll also grow onions, did a few last year which were a success so using the same variety again.

Thinking about growing some salad leaves too and toms and cues, basically the main salad stuff I eat. I've got a decent size patch of garden behind my garage which *should* be made into a patio area but am thinking about keeping it for growing as its south facing and fairly sheltered. Not sure if I will get away with that next year tho!

I've already received my first early potatoes so they are chilling in the garage. Its insulated so should never get below zero in there.

Thing is I keep looking at other things which I would like to try, difficult to know where to stop!

Jazee

Welcome newbies.

I checked the onions and garlic yesterday and all are still fine.

Kittencat

Good Morning All!
May I join you?

I have just been given my allotment plot. It's only a quarter plot but I honestly feel like my 4 year old was at Christmas.
I was awake most of the night planning in my head, also trying not to be too excited as my husband thinks it's going to be a fad! I WILL PROVE HIM WRONG!

I plan on taking it slowly as time is an issue at the moment as we are having our new (old) house renivated. We are currently living with my parents but hope to move into our house Feb (cross fingers, it's been 5 months). The allotments are at the end of our street and I'm hoping to get my 4 year old little girl involved with everything. At the moment she refuses to even come down to have a look. I plan to pop down there this afternoon for half an hour to measure up and draw plans.
My plans are very small for this year, I want to start with small Beds and an area for the little one to play and plant. I would like this to be a hobby that will be with me forever and to get DH and DD involved as well.
I will probably ask lots of questions along the way also so thank you in advance to you guys. Do we have an area for allotment/gardening blogs?

CAFCGirl

Can I ask what people are sowing this week?

Silvertabby

Can I ask what people are sowing this week? Posted by CAFCgirl

Chillies and sweet peppers. Will start them off in a heated seed propagator in the conservatory, then move them to a high windowsill once they've been potted on. The (heated) conservatory would be ideal for potting on, but my cat sees seedlings in pots as either something to chew or toys to play with.

Please, cat owners - note that tomato and chilli leaves are toxic - so if your cat is a chewer, like mine, put your plants well out of reach! Luckily, once the plants are big enough to go in the greenhouse she loses interest - it's just when they are little seedlings!

unrecordings

Lovely mild day today, so I spent most of it in the garage sorting stuff out for the tip. Did spend a couple of hours outside tidying up twigs & branches and spreading the last of the shredded xmas tree over the dirt paths. One of my rhubarbs is coming up already (Timperley Early I think)