fruit/veg in a trug - easiest?
geum keenbutgreen
Posts: 508
Hi there - I'd like to grow some veg or fruit this year, basically just as a project for my little boy to show him how we can grow things to eat. However, although my garden is large-ish, it's already an established area of lawn/trees/flower borders etc, with no where to put a veg patch. (It doesn't help that our house sits at the back of our plot, so effectively everything is 'front garden').
I can probably find somewhere for a veg trug or something similar, but it may not be the sunniest of spots.
My question is - what could I grow in a trug that would a) be easy to establish and grow (I don't have a greenhouse etc), b) do ok in a shady-ish spot, c) be 'pretty' as it grows? I was thinking strawberries, but no idea if they fit any of those criteria!
Thanks 
Posts
Hi pansyface, thanks for the reply
Hmm, you've got me thinking now. I do have an area by the kitchen door where we've recently taken down a large tree, that I'm not going to put any planting on for the meantime (as we might decide to extend the kitchen in the near future). This would give me two smallish areas of wall, one south east facing, the other east facing, which currently are just doing nothing but looking down at a tree stump. That might be be pretty with two nice planters? I think in the past, this area has been used as a kind of herb garden.
if its for growing with a child i'd do quick crops first - radishes, lettuce that sort of thing, children get bored quickly so something showing quick gets them hooked, then try growing something tall, runner beans or peas are good to keep the interest going (look how much taller it is this week etc.)
Interesting - I might try that myself
Strawberries and little tomatoes are also ideal for children but you may need more room for toms. You can grwo a strawberry pr two in a container no problem. Mine liked Mange tout when they were little - they're quite easy too.
I agree totally with pansyface about putting some containers in the sun for little ones. They like to see results quickly!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...