What do you like to grow best?

[seapoppy]

Hi Biggles......... In will be in the exact same position when I buy the shop. I ll be gowing from a big garden to a stamp too. I had thought about masses of pots, for everything all on different levels.

[Biggles]

I wondered---If I only have a small postage stamp of a garden "will I still be eligible" for posting on the GWD Boards? Will have to ask Admin!

[seapoppy]

hi biggles.........hows the latin gowing............. what have you grown this summer?

[Weeterrier]

I'm sure both of you will find some way of packing in the plants, no matter what restrictions you have You'll have to go up instead of out ;D

I can see the attraction of knowing you have provided what's on your plate. I felt the same about my fruit. But aren't there a lot of pests and diseases to worry about?

Does it matter if we don't have a garden? I would have thought a love of gardening would be enough? After all, a few of the TV garden experts don't have gardens.

[jean]

I only got really interested in gardening approx 10 years ago. Moved around a lot before and never settled long enough to do anything and see the results. My Mum always grew veg and as a little girl I used to get sent into the garden to pick some for dinner. My Grandpa was a great tom grower (and was the Chief Inspector of the tomato trade in Guernsey at its peak) he grew melons, grapes and just about anything that was edible Both of them liked the flowers but the garden was mainly set out for feeding the family.


My sister inspired me to grow flowers. Her garden was amazing and the peace and tranquility it gave will never be forgotten. Since then I have had my own garden for the first time and filled it with as many perennials as it will hold, but I can't stand blowsey, fussy flowers (especially if they are pink ). Veggies are in the blood though and as much as I love the flowers there is nothing like growing and eating your own. Had the allotment nearly 5 years now and its bloody hard work at times but I get far more enjoyment out of my plot than my flowers any day and would happily turn my garden into a veg patch if for any reason I couldn't keep my allotment

I did have a go at "designing" a garden a few years back which was at my daughters work place. Very low maintenance, somewhere for the staff to sit, shade over a window in the height of summer but not obscuring the view and water in the middle. It was a building site, well I had a go and this is what happened.

s77.photobucket.com/albums/j59/jlottie/desing/?action=view¤t=S5002415.jpg&slideshow=true&interval=3

The water feature in the middle is fantastic when turned on - still reckon I was right about that awful bamboo screening Shame because they are moving at the end of the year so I won't be able to visit and enjoy the view

[Weeterrier]

What kind of flowers do you like jlottie? I tend to go for paler colours of white, pink and blue....................and yellow...........and I like green flowers. Not so many red or orange.
If I were to start growing veg. what would you suggest?

[jean]

Oops sorry WT was miles away adding a bit to my post

Grow something you like to eat, its that simple. Salads are great to start off with and grow very quickly. Beans are great too for climbing up anything you give them, I'm not that keen on runners but have found a lovely organic bean that is purple till cooked. I like to try out different things just to see what happens and if they taste good even better. It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure to see things in "tidy" rows. This is the first year I have had any success with cabbages both red and green and to me that beats growing any flowers ;D

Going off the wishy washy flower colours and hoping to introduce lots more deep colours next year.

[Tig]

I love being in the garden - just to be outside and be able to get mucky and not care!
Our current garden was an overgrown weed jungle when we moved in 15 years ago. Only five original shrubs/trees are still growing - an ornamental rhododendron, a large bramley apple tree and, at the front a variagated privet hedge, a flowering cherry and a stags horn sumach!
The back garden is now full of shrubs and borders, and since I retired three vegetable plots.
I couldn't say which I like best - I just love it all, and the learning, mistakes and joy that comes with it! Tig

[seapoppy]

Ive planted this year blues, pink, whites cottage garden flowers............. like you Wee T Im not keen on oranges , red, and dont like yellow. I also laid a path, with a broken arm, not sure how!

[oldmoleskins]

seapoppy said:

I just had a courgette and beans Wee with pasta and herbs from the garden. Bit of FRESH Pamijano.........

Never thought I'd be jealous of a courgette grower, SeaPoppy, but mine were comprehensively 'slugged-off'... you did well to keep them safe.

OM.

[Weeterrier]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It seems I am missing out on some real enjoyment. I have four huge pots sitting in my shed doing nothing, so I could at least have an attempt at some beans. Also grow more in the greenhouse, like peppers.
Though as far as fruit is concerned, I have apples, plums, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries and blackcurrants, and I grow herbs too. So I am not totally useless
For a while, I've thought of making a raised bed in a bit of the garden we use for sitting. as I haven't used the seat for the eight years I've been her, maybe it is time for a change Cabbages, here I come! ;D

PS Sara, I won't be getting rid of any flowerbeds........cabbages aren't THAT good

[seapoppy]

Hi old moleskins, fellow norfolkonian!!!........

My courgettes survived cause all the slugs ate my lovely peas insread


Hi Wee.......... I would certainly see if you could find an area, doesnt have to be big its really worth it, nows a good time cause like Gertrude Jeklyle (spl)... said its what you put into the ground that makes what comes out good.................. words to that effect anyway. So you could start prepping now, for nxt yr.

[Deleted]

weeterrier said:

I wondered if veg. could become addictive. Trouble is, I'd have to get rid of some of my flowers. I envy you having a bit of garden which is still virgin territory. Then, of course, you have your chickens

Morning Weeterrier

Can't believe I've only just stumbled across this thread

I love veg growing, and you are right, it is addictive!! There is something about planning what youre going to grow in the winter months when you can't get outside, ordering your seeds (or sorting out your own saved seed ) and getting ready for the sowing frenzy of the spring. I suppose it might have something to do with it all being part of the circle of life.....without sounding too deep at this time of the morning .

As you know, I grow all the veg at the allotment (plus a few flowers).

When I was a child and we moved out of London to the 'countryside' of Buckinghamshire, we had a garden!! I remember a large apple tree, lawn and half of the garden which my Dad turned over to a veg plot, I also remember Dhalia which always had earwigs in them!!. We entered the village show each year, garden on a plate for me and my brother ;D
I don't know if that was where it all started.....


I would say, give the veg growing a try, grow what you like to eat.....it will taste far superior to anything you can buy ;D And you might even be able to grow some veggies mixed with your flowers...so you wouldn't have to get rid of them.

Good Luck

[Weeterrier]

Thanks GH Actually it was you showing such obvious delight in your veg. that got me thinking in the first place.
God, do I need another addiction?

[Deleted]

do it WT.
its such a delight like any other growing.
but you get to eat the results as well.
i grew leeks last year and they were quite a sucess but we dont eat that many leeks and we had them coming out of our earholes.!!!!!
i decided this year to only stick to things we would definitely eat.
i have learnt from this year about what i will not do next year and what i will do again.
i think my biggest sucsesses were my purple carrots and my potatoes.herbs were all fab.
i have some lovely peppers growing nicely in my plastic greenhouse.
ithe best thing of all was growing sweetcorn.
so much sweeter and jucier than any i have ever bought.
we ate them raw straight off the plant.
i think you should make a little list of the veg you eat most and see if you can find room to grow them.
xxxxxx ;D ;D

[seapoppy]

Hi Wee......... its funny the little things that can inspire one,



Well done Yummy mummy ;D (no 2!!)..... thats fab , i havent picked any of my corn yet , bit small

[oldmoleskins]

rowanberryjelly said:

do it WT.... i think you should make a little list of the veg you eat most and see if you can find room to grow them.
xxxxxx ;D ;D

and then have a look at Home-Grown Greengrocer and see if any of it's there!!

OM.

[Deleted]

weeterrier said:

Thanks GH Actually it was you showing such obvious delight in your veg. that got me thinking in the first place.
God, do I need another addiction?

That, WT, is an allotmenteers madness, there is no cure ;D, all us Veg growing lot are abit on the crackers side (in a nice way!!)

And Yes, it's a much better addiction to have than gambling, drug taking, drinking too much ....oh no, I'm fibbing about that

[Biggles]

Yes I will miss growing Vegetables,and being able to harvest straight from the garden into the kitchen for meals.
Although I wont have a large garden it will be a challenge to see what is best for a small patch.
Hopefully after many, many years experience in gardening I will still be able to pass on some knowledge in response to questions on these Boards.
It will keep my interest going in one of the most enjoyable hobbies I have ever had.

[seapoppy]

When do you move, Biggles?........let me know what thoughts you have on your "stamp".

[Biggles]

In about 2 weeks time--Will let you know how I am going to manage another new garden--albeit very small!