Grow Your Own Magazine

for the last 4 years since my father died my mum and i have grown the same veg with the same out come. Carrots not enogh of them, Caugett too many of them, runner beans too many, potatoes not enough of , sweetcorn poor yeald, broc, brussels, cabbage, caulie all poor growth and a waste of time. My father was the veg master and he had no problems but we carnt get used to it. This time of year im realy exited and carnt wait to get started, I find growing veg very rewarding watching them grow with your tender care and then eatting your produce what better way to spend a few hours a day.
My mums plot is part of her garden it 20meters by 20meters and we have a pollytunnel 5meters by 10meters has anyone got any ideas?
Look forward to some new inspiration.

Yorkie
Hi, sorry to hear about the loss of yor inspiration,
What about salads? All easy to grow and a vast improvement on supermarket stuff, if you don't have the space, salad leaves can easy be grown in containers.
Broad Beans and Peas, I didn't see these on your list, easy to grow and so welcome before the runner beans
and Tomatoes, you can never have enough of these and you've got a poly tunnel too.
Cucumbers and smaller fruiting ones for gherkins.
Beetroot is well worth a try and I'd give garlic and shallots a try too.
I'm sure other grapes will come up with more suggestions, but the ones I've listed above, if I can grown them, then anyone can!
best wishes
Sue

Do you like squash? If you do, I'd be happy to post you a couple of seeds of a few varieties to try. They do need space (1m x 1m minimum) or a climbing frame, or somewhere to romp! Marvellous Hungry Gap vegetable, mine usually store until April if they don't get eaten!

__________________
SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

Tomatoes are one of the nicest veg to grow, they smell great when they're growing and taste so much better than the ones you buy. If you're not having any sucess with veg try some fruit. Raspberries are easy as are strawberries.

__________________
An té nach gcuireann san earrach
ní bhaineann sé san fhómhar.

Pak Choi and Fennel are different and they are both easy to grow. Simply sow the pak choi thinly in a seed drill and enjoy eating it because it is so easy to grow. With fennel I sow one seed every six inches with great results.

__________________
[

Hi Yorkie2, Welcome to the vine. It can be a bit of a madhouse at times but mixed in with the fun there is very good advice. I hope it will inspire you. Best of luck for the growing season, keep us posted.

__________________
Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

Get yourself on the real seeds website just type in realseeds to google and it will come up. They have lots of lovely things to try including some unusual stuff.

How about fat baby Achoca or melons or squash that turn pink in storage the list is endless. They have a particularly good line in giant radish!!
You can save all the seeds to replant next year, and maybe you should think about brewng some of your excess runner bean and elderberry is particularly good!!

i surgest tomatos too and melon in your tunnel,and i'm going to try japenise burdock and moolie which is like a giant radish, but as elmo say's get yourself a seed catalogue and just choose you might have better luck then some of us thats the great thing about GYO.

Hi Yorkie2, - Welcome, nice to meet you.
Both you and your Mum seem to be coping well after losing your Dad, bet you miss him though. Maybe now is a time to start doing someting a bit different?

Do you have a lottie or are you growing solo? If you have neighbours or a lottie, why not share/swap your surplus? We had very generous neighbours/friends and managed to swap so we tried new stuff last year.

The other thing you can do (if you like wine??) is make a brew of some veggies - have a look at the Juicy Gossip bit of In The Kitchen here, you may get some ideas.
All the best and keep up the enthusiasm, it really is worth it!

__________________
Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Hi Yorkie2, I can't grow brassicas...they get every darn pest and problem going. Except, Kale Cavolo de Nero - I love it, in spite of the white fly. My carrots, swede and sweet corn were rubbish this year. I'd recommend Leaf Beet, Swiss Chard as its so easy to grow and is delicious like spinach. Also Jerusalem Artichokes are foolproof but are an acquired taste

Hi yorkie2, it sure is exciting watching things grow from seeds to feeds!

We love climbing french beans, types like Blue Lake can be used as whole pod or for the beans if there's 'too many' (and you can freeze or dry the beans). Climbing borlotto beans are tasty too.

Gotta second (or 3rd) the vote for tomatoes, there's so many types and tastes and they're relatively easy to grow. Peppers of all types, sweet and hot? Also we love aubergines and I'd think they grow well in a warm polytunnel, we grow ours in a greenhouse.

I suppose (obviously) it comes down to what you like to cook & eat? Of course you might fancy a change there too!

Good luck.

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."