Fruit and veg growers?

[beadsbydesign]

I was reading the other day about how amnay people are turning to allotments and dgging up their gardens to grow fruit and veg to help towards the credit crunch (rather like the dig for glory in the war)

I began my tiny veg patch ;ast year and got hooked. I am now in the process of digging up my garden for a much bigger operation this year.

Who else has veg patches and allotments?

[Moonbeam Angel]

Having lived in a flat for the last 6 1/2 years and now living in a bungalow with a huge garden! we will definitely be planting veg this year.

We already have a plum tree which I bought. We will also be attempting runner beans, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers and perhaps some carrots. Have no idea what sort of crop we will get but the children will enjoy themselves.

I've also bought a compost bin which we have started to fill (its about 1/4 full already!)

[Hagar]

We have 3/4 acre some of which is woodland.
We started with 2 large raised beds 3 years ago, now have 3 raised beds and a polly (SP?) tunnel.
It's great fun and has encouraged my 5 year old to eat veg straight off the plant. We have been very successful with tomatoes (in conservatory last year but will be polly tunnel this year), peas and beans of all types (massive glut of runners last year), sweetcorn, maunge tout, salad leaves. Not good with carrots as we have a v heavy clay soil so they were all about 2 inches long!
We have several apple trees and planted lots of fruit canes last year so should get quite a harvest this year if the birds dont get them first!
Neither of us are gardeners and I am not too good with heavy phsical work but growing veg is pretty easy and lots of fun.

[xrheax]

I mess about a bit. We have quite a small garden that is overlooked by about 10 neighbours! I grow some in tubs. My strawberry plants are doing really well now, the potatoes were good last year, as were my peas, but the carrots were quite rubbish last year. I am hoping to grow even more this year!

[Recycled Bag Lady]

In 2006 I added chickens to my garden, replacing one shrub border; in 2007 I added some raised beds by taking over part of the patio; last year we obtained an allotment so this year the raised beds are being replaced by a greenhouse and my remaining flowerborder by fruit trees. The children still need whats left of the lawn so I can't dig that up yet, but I have my plans for the future! I've just dug up all my remaining carrots and parsnips from the raised bed that is being moved to make way for the greenhouse, and spent a pleasant hour scrubbing and chopping them. After feeding the wormy bits (the carrot fly beat me this year ) to the chickens, I have a lovely big bag of carrot and parsnip chunks in my freezer ready for future use. The allotment still needs a bit of work on it, but I'm hoping to grow potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, parsnips, runner, french and broad beans, peas and soft fruit gooseberries, raspberries, red and blackcurrants and tayberries. And anything else I can fit in!

[onlyme]

I have a tiny garden, laid to slab, but I'm determined to grow some veg in big pots this year! You just can't beat runner beans fresh off the plant. I'd love an allotment but don't think my body could take it, lol.

[staceyjlew]

I love growing fruit and veg. I do the usual, strawberries, potatos, dwarf beans (grew like wildfire!!), onions and carrots - mostly in pots as our garden a bit weird!

Also Peppers did really well indoors on the window sill and I tried a butternut squash last year, but although I had lots of baby fruits, the male part never flowered to pollenate so was very disappointed with that as thought was going to have loads!

Got my name on a waiting list for an allotment - maybe a year or so wait though.

Hope one day to have a large garden so I can have a greenhouse and goats - love goats cheese!

[gbell]

I have an allotment, luckily it is right behind my house! must say i am the most useless gardener, but me and my husband have enjoyed the plot, our first year was last year. It only costs £15 a year! I am trying to not actually spend money on it, so try and beg, borrow and barter to get things for it, Our shed came from a site at work (work for a builders) and was destined for the tip! It lists slightly but so what! I am constantly on the cadge for things, going to use an old conservatory frame for a cold frame this year.

Our carrots were the best on the allotments last year i was told, only cos no one elses survivied, i think ours did because i raised the soil up in a dome and made it as fine as i could! Sprouts were a disaster, leeks were lovely, onions good.

[onlyme]

I do envy you your allotment! What kind of veg can be grown in a tub - this is a first for me. My did grow some potatoe's in one a few years back, but I can't see us getting many dinners out of one tub, lol. I love salad too.

[autumn rose]

I had some lovely green beans, courgettes and strawberries year before last,
squirrels caused a few probs though, with the weather how it is today cant wait to get stuck in again this year.

[purplemac]

Our garden is gravel and concrete and the house is rented so we can't get rid of it! I grew runner beans and carrots in tubs last year. The kids love it, they get involved with all the mucky bits! I grow tomatoes in gro bags but the last two years the damp weather has ruined them. Last year, they rotted! Oh, and I've got some blueberry bushes, 2 are really weedy looking and one grows like wildfire but we get berries off them all. (I get the berries, no one else likes them!)

I want some flowers this year to brighten the place up a bit so I'll be reorganising later on!

Debbie

[gbell]

I do envy you your allotment! What kind of veg can be grown in a tub - this is a first for me. My did grow some potatoe's in one a few years back, but I can't see us getting many dinners out of one tub, lol. I love salad too.

anything as long as the tubs deep enough, carrots grow well in a deep tub, peas, beans, anything!

[gigglinggoblin]

We have an allotment, dh loves shallots and they are so easy to do we usually pay for the allotment just with those. Last year was rubbish, very little grew well but fingers crossed for this year!

Will def be doing purple sprouting broccoli, that grew quite well but we ummed and ahhed too long and it went too far, very pretty tho! Also salad leaves, replant every 2 weeks for constant supply, cherry toms def, you cant beat them straight off the plant. Anya potatoes I could eat all day, will be doing those.

If you like cucumbers try yellow globes they grew like crazy, we had hundreds off 3 plants. They are roughly apple sized and you just pick and eat, great for lunchboxes. Only ds likes them tho so we were giving them away to anyone who would have them!

[Selina]

My garden is all decking and gravel but we do grow tomatoes, carrots, peppers, runner beans and radishes in pots. This year I have bought some seed trays to grow tomato seeds in and am going to have a go at aubergines. Am buying a little green house thingy, its about 5 foot tall with 4 shelves in it covered in clear plastic they're about £15 on Flebay! Selina

[Fair Do]

Hi ...good post!

I had a go at growing some spuds in a bucket last year (Arran Pilots - first earlies don't ya know!!!) just to see what happened, and they tasted yummy ...only thing is you have to wait 3 months for them, but it was worth it!

So much so that this year I'm expanding the crop to five buckets , and I'm ready to plant them in March!

Well done you for going the extra step ...hope you get a good crop.

Fair Do