Happy birthday GYO forum! PLUS your chance to win

Happy Birthday GYO and good luck everyone from a sad non-UK resident

I love that chilli plant! Are you going to join in with our seed swap when you get to 50 posts?

If I manage to save any of the seeds I'd be happy to swap

You don't need 50 posts to send VC seeds just to get some back
It is only meant to be 25'000 SHU as well, am shocked usually anything that looks that good is ridicously hot.

It is a lovely looking plant

Oh and Happy 10th Birthday to the vine

Happy birthday grow your own. Unfortunately ax I am not a UK member i cannot take part in the competition but i have been a membef since the beginning of March 2006 and have seen so many people come and go on this site.

Tree grafting

I can see a great improvement in my garden for having joined the vine. However, one of the big things for me was grafting trees. I always had in my mind it was some sacred art that only a few people could do and was really really difficult. Then back in December when I asked peoples opinions about an apple tree I had ummed and arred about for two years as it did not do well. I went (very very quickly) from poorly tree – replacement varieties – heritage varieties – grafting trees. Then thanks to grapes knowledge and support I took the plunge in February. Out of the sixteen grafts thirteen have taken. It might just be beginners luck, but I will be playing again in February.

Thank you to GYO for the vine, and thank you to all the grapes that make it what it is.

They look much the same at the moment, but from left to right (all apples) – Foulden Pearmain, Court Pendu Plat, Norfolk Beefing and an Unknown (hopefully will find out next month).

This forum has inspired me to work harder on sowing and growing on before planting out, and to try to plant in straight rows.

I need some tips on photography next!

Happy Birthday GYO

I think pictures speak louder than words.


5th June 2013:



The same areas 1st June 2015 (from slightly different angles):



Probably the most useful discovery from this forum was veggiemesh/enviromesh - it completely transformed my carrots and brassicas.

Thanks everyone for all the help

A totally posed photo to try and say it all. Four years ago, although I'd farmed all my life, I'd never gardened other than a few potatoes and runners. I was really tempted by my friend's poly tunnel results though and, when I was forced to take three months off work and a group of lambs sold for much more than we expected coupled with a rash promise from the OH, I got one! It was a sanity saver at the time. I was soon lurking here and reading everything I could find in the library and on net.

The tunnel was a huge success and gave me the confidence to try and claw a garden out of a waste edge of a field using mostly ideas from the vine - cardboard love that stuff!

I don't think I'd still be gardening if it wasn't for the tunnel. So what on earth does the photo show?

Well it's raining but not in the tunnel.

I now grow the vast majority of the veg we eat throughout the year - I want salad, I pick it. At least in the Summer, if I want fruit salad - I pick most of that, too! Today it's going to be strawberries (Malwina - discovered through The Vine), autumn raspberries but pruned to crop from late June (A Vine post idea) and peaches from my dwarf tree as well as a few desert gooseberries. If it's not there fresh there will be something in the freezer.

The grotty pot is tomato seed rotting away the flesh and slime ready to be planted next year. I save lots and lots of my own seed and rarely plant anything F1 thanks also to what I have learnt from here.

I'm also as sustainable as possible - I hesitate to say organic as I won't use some of those products because they are so nasty and also I too love veggie mesh which is made very very none organic materials but gives us a great solution.

So also a long post, good luck to every one and a special hello to our "non doms" who make this a special place.

Thanks for all your great entries so far! It's so lovely to see what amazing things you've all achieved

*****Bump

lovely down to earth people who share my own interest, willing to share knowledge and experiences, a good all round "Good Egg" of a community!

I work long, silly unsociable hours! But love coming on here as a "Switch Off"

But one thread in paticular gets my thumbs up!

As I can have days saying "Sod It"

But it inspires me to "Crack on"





So thank you all!

And "Many Happy Returns" GYO!

Cheers BB!

Cheers Deano...............
& A Great Big Happy Birthday GYO.