Show Us Your Veg Patch - You Know You Want To!! (Merged Thread)

greyhoundcrazy

I wish I'd seen this thread sooner. Here are some photos of our currently not so money saving allotment. We do hope it will save us money long term though and keep us fit.

The raised beds we have built because the plot floods sometimes, we wanted to limit time spent weeding, plus we have bad backs so want as little digging as poss.


Salad stuff growing faster than we can eat it.


Pumpkins (much soup to be made I think)


Runner beans and sweet corn



My mange tout


We made a pond...

jtb2412

Looks really great greyhoundcrazy - am so envious ! We've had our names down on the list for an allotment since the beginning of the year but there are 50 other people before us ! We're in our early 30s so might get one by the time we're 60 ! lol

Love the pond too. You've worked really hard and you should be very pleased with your patch !

beaney50

beaney50

beaney50 wrote: »

Have grown climbing courgettes for the first time and they`ve been great. 4 plants grow in the space of 1 normal courgette plant. I also always grow climbing french beans as you can find them easier and they don`t get dirty or eaten by slugs and again it`s saves space. if someone will tell me how to put pictures on here from My Pictures I`ll post a photo but where do i find the URL?

Thank you kprice.
Pressed the button too soon so will post photographs again.

greyhoundcrazy

jtb2412 wrote: »

Looks really great greyhoundcrazy - am so envious ! We've had our names down on the list for an allotment since the beginning of the year but there are 50 other people before us ! We're in our early 30s so might get one by the time we're 60 ! lol

Love the pond too. You've worked really hard and you should be very pleased with your patch !

Thanks. We were lucky to get a plot really. We enquired December 06, crucially just a few weeks before the BBC Grow Your Own Veg programme sent people stampeding to their local allotments to ask for one. There were several free at the time so we didn't have to wait. Just a few weeks later, they were full up and there is now a healthy waiting list. Puts the pressure on to keep your plot looking good though, else come inspection time you might get booted off and replaced.

Hope you speed up the list in no time

nodwah

debmorris wrote: »

We recently had a new bed in front garden and added lots of compost from our compost bin. Then we put in a few cheap bedding plants. But we are very surprised that from the compost has sprouted loads of tomato plants, 2 plants which are starting to bear fruit which I think might be peppers and another triffid type thing which I first thought was a courgette, then as it got bigger a marrow but now I think it may be a pumpkin. Quite amazing. Not exactly the show I was expecting in my front garden tho. Have thinned out the tomatoes and they are starting to grow fruit so I am very excited. Next year we are going to spread the compost bin over a bed in the back garden and see what we get!!!!:T

I've got a few toms seeded from the compost too, quite interesting to see what they turn out to be!!

nodwah

juliemay wrote: »

Great thread. i am inspired to try and grow something(anything) edible in a small raised bed 1.5m by 1m. Is it too late though? Any ideas anyone? Also I'm really keen to grow blueberries in a border but the plants at the local garden centre are £11.50 for a small bush 75cm tall with only a handfull of berries. Does anyone know where I can get some more reasonably priced.

Cheers

Last spring, Tesco had good varietie of blueberris at about £5, if you feel like waiting till next spring...

We've bought our plants from Ken Muir and though expensive to start with, very good quality and worth it IMHO.

I would say avoid 'top hat' and 'blue crop'. Good varities are 'chandler' 'ozark blue' 'glodtraub' and 'collins'. We have a few more but I can't find my wee book to remember their names! We have a few different varietie s to extend the season from August right thru to end of Oct.

~Chameleon~

nodwah wrote: »

I've got a few toms seeded from the compost too, quite interesting to see what they turn out to be!!

So have I, right next to the compost bin! :rotfl:

I was about to pull up the "weeds" when I noticed they were tomatoes :rolleyes:

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

jtb2412 wrote: »

Looks really great greyhoundcrazy - am so envious ! We've had our names down on the list for an allotment since the beginning of the year but there are 50 other people before us ! We're in our early 30s so might get one by the time we're 60 ! lol

Love the pond too. You've worked really hard and you should be very pleased with your patch !

I got lucky. A friend has an Allotment and he had a guy who was sharing it with him. The guy dropped out and it's too much for him to take on on his own so I've got a half share now. Can't wait to get started.

I'd suggest going to your local Allotments and see if there is anybody who is struggling to keep up with a whole plot and wants to share. I'm sure it would be better for you too if you are new to it like me, as I'd not want to take on a whole site my self.

hathor

Help please, Nodwah!

I'd finally made up my mind that blueberry Top Hat was the one for me (on account of its compact height/spread habit, and my only having a balcony, not a garden) and now you say it's one to avoid!

What has put you off it, and if it's really useless, what do you recommend I should go for instead? Now I'm back to square one.

To think I nearly ordered it this morning, too...