My wife & I took over an allotment in September last year. It was quite overrun so we have spent the winter tidying the plot up and setting out all the raised beds as we want them. It seemed like the hard work would never end.
As a younger couple we have found our allotment neighbours very helpful and have provided us with friendly advice.
The time has finally come for us to start to do some planting and we can't wait for our first harvest of crops.
dear sheila, why not turn your vege patch into a potager, for inspiration read Joy Larkcoms book creative vegeetable gardening, Joy has inspired the likes of alys, and pippa, have fun with your vege, mix with flowers (companian planting is good), and herbs too.
It can be difficult to make a veg plot look attractive in the eary part of the season when the ground is cold and weather wet and blustery... I use CDs strung across my beds to deter birds, netting and fleece which doesn't look that great!! As the spring turns to summer and the crops put on lots of growth, companion planting come into flower (sweetpeas, marigolds, chives, basil, summer savory..) and the garden is alive with bees and butterflies...I think that is truly beautiful!!! I have also began to dig up my front lawn...The lawn is poor anyhow and some decorative cottage garden style raised beds will look lovely... I can't wait to get cracking!!!
Tomatoes,strawberries,cucumbers - all grown by Guides in our community garden last year,were a great success in growbags, treadworthyhall. Spring onions grow well in large pots.
Hi I'm trying to find out more about an excellent looking cloche featured in Episode4 of GW by Toby Buckland. I've posted a message about it on the GW message board. It was rounded/ribbed plastic in a metal frame with handle for easy lifting. Can you help?
Last year I decided to grow my own veg. I made some errors, I learnt alot and I ate alot of lovely fresh produce such as lettuce, toms, beetroots, new pots and carrots. I also tried broccolli but it was a disappointment as it was eaten by caterpillas' I did'nt use any sprays, nettings etc. This year I'm gonna have another go and try parsnips as well. Thank you Gardners World....
yeh have another go with brocoli, i failed the first year, but the last 2 summers i have grown loads, the white butterfly will ravage them so you need to cover, i bought cheap netting from my local garden centre, but you need to have the netting clear of the plant otherwise they lay eggs through the netting, if you dont cover you have a daily job of checking the underside of the leafs for eggs, which you have to brush off if the appear, good luck
Is it not time you devoted some of Gardeners World on Fridays to houseplants especially orchids and the like which are very popular and very difficult to look after and are in a lot of cases very expensive, I am sure this would be very helpful and popular, as these days you very rarely mention house plants. I and many people like me are disabled and our gardening life is devoted to houseplants. Yours repectfully Brian
This blog is about "Grow and Eat", Brijan, so may I suggest you grow some veg. with your houseplants. Plants are like people - they like company, so you may find adding edibles to your repertoire will improve your houseplants.
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As a younger couple we have found our allotment neighbours very helpful and have provided us with friendly advice.
The time has finally come for us to start to do some planting and we can't wait for our first harvest of crops.
Could I grow Spring Onions?
I'm trying to find out more about an excellent looking cloche featured in Episode4 of GW by Toby Buckland. I've posted a message about it on the GW message board. It was rounded/ribbed plastic in a metal frame with handle for easy lifting. Can you help?