The even bigger and better and hopefully not lower bits of growing your own in 2022!

Suffolk_lass

Farway said:

Friday1989 said:

When I bought my flat the garden was a state. Last summer I removed brambles and weeds and planted grass seed. This year I want to grow vegetables and flowers and hopefully some plants that will encourage bats. I've seen them flying about and would love to see more. I'm a complete novice so plan to start small and see how I go. I have a lot to learn!

For more bats try & grow flowers that open in the evenings, they will attract night inscts / moths which in turn will attarct the bats. Evening primrose & night scented stocks are two easy ones and no doubt many others as well

I can vouch for Evening Primrose and Japanese honeysuckle as highly scented and we have bats swooping around most evenings on the hunt

droopsnoot

I'm hoping to grow some more peppers, maybe from the plants I planted in 2021 (which all look dead, or nearly dead) or failing that, from some more of the seeds that I still have. I'd also like to do some potatoes, and maybe some onions and lettuce. I've sourced some glass to replace the lid of the cold frame (local skip yielded some double-glazing units that I'll strip down) so hopefully that will help. I've recently been around cutting dead leaves and stalks from various flowers in the garden, and hope I haven't been too drastic. Can't do any more for a bit now as the bin is full.

Viking_mfw

Can I join in? We grow an eclectic mix of stuff but I try to concentrate on things my two little ones love, particularly fruit. I have a raised bed in the front I built last year which I am going to top with ericaceous compost and transplant the pot bound blueberries and one surviving cranberry into as my first job. 

We're going for potatoes in bags this year to use some space that was taken up by a huge ivy installation until DH moidered it in the autumn. The ground is terrible plus we need to be able to get at any surviving ivy, hence the bags. Any suggestions for good varieties? We love potatoes of all sorts and have capacity for up to 5 varieties. 

Suffolk_lass

Viking_mfw said:

Can I join in? We grow an eclectic mix of stuff but I try to concentrate on things my two little ones love, particularly fruit. I have a raised bed in the front I built last year which I am going to top with ericaceous compost and transplant the pot bound blueberries and one surviving cranberry into as my first job. 

We're going for potatoes in bags this year to use some space that was taken up by a huge ivy installation until DH moidered it in the autumn. The ground is terrible plus we need to be able to get at any surviving ivy, hence the bags. Any suggestions for good varieties? We love potatoes of all sorts and have capacity for up to 5 varieties. 

Welcome @Viking_mfw - hopefully some more will join in when the weather warms up a bit.

Re potato varieties in bags, I would definitely include Charlotte which is a good salad variety you can harvest quite early. If you like Jersey Royals then International Kidney is the variety - we never harvest them early enough and I always forget that if I wait until the flowers are finished they resemble coffee mugs rather than pebbles! We also grew pink fir apple once - while they were OK, they were in one of the beds and it took fully four years to clear them - so growing in a container would be my choice with them - they were a bit elusive to dig out properly. Only three but hopefully good choices

Suffolk_lass

I really must bring in the box of seeds that DH put on top of the fridge-freezer in the toolshed before Christmas (visitors) I need to do my seed audit and throw out old varieties and list what I need!

Viking_mfw

Thanks @Suffolk_lass that's really useful. I would like to grow pink fir apple, almost entirely because my husband asked where we would plant another tree Charlotte are always good. I will think about Jersey Royal - I'm not necessarily a huge fan but the name International Kidney appeals  

I had a quick rummage in my seed box last night and am planning on the classic egg shell planted with cress at the weekend with my son who is keen to do some growing (age 4). 

MovingForwards

@Viking_mfw I grow whatever has sprouted from the shop packet I've not cooked, it's worked well the last 2 years.

Farway

Viking_mfw said:

I had a quick rummage in my seed box last night and am planning on the classic egg shell planted with cress at the weekend with my son who is keen to do some growing (age 4). 

Did this with DD years ago, and was informed by very indignant child that she does not eat grass

Viking_mfw

Farway said

Did this with DD years ago, and was informed by very indignant child that she does not eat grass

 

We have drawn "faces" on the breakfast eggshells with felt tips. Neither of us has great artistic skill, shall we say? Sowing time later.  

leftatthetrafficlights

Went and bought the seed potatoes for chitting today - first and second earlies plus main crop - haven't done potatoes for years but bought growing bags last year so that we're not using space in the raised beds 😉 

Still getting parsnips, leeks, sprouts and cabbages from last year's plantings - will do a bit of planning next weekend as I haven't had the time recently 🙈