Any budding gardeners?

[Tonks]

Is anyone doing their garden this year?

If so, what are you doing?

We have dogs, so my attempt to make two lovely flowers beds last year lasted a week Money down the drain! So this year, I am doing hanging baskets and I'm going to grow some vegetables in pots! I'm thinking Peppers, carrots, cucumbers, green beans and potatoes

Anyone got any experience of potted vegetables?

 

[megsmeadow]

Oh potatoes in pots work a treat!!! My mum has also grown peas and beans in pots to, no bother. We have a dog too and have just put down some decking and a bit of lawn, then the rest is stone chipped for pup. She's done quite well keeping to her own area. I've got hanging baskets and troughs, going to plant a few more pots this year. I think we need some garden pics!!!

 

[Tonks]

My garden is all grass atm All dug up from doggies too - not worth showing anyone!

 

[Rowesb]

I have just planted lettuces in trough's, they did really well last year in growbags though, and put a load of other seeds in

 

[Tonks]

Am just back from the garden centre!

Have just planted aubergine, tomatoes, cucumber and sweet peppers seeds. Planted them all up and they are sitting in my dining room, which is the warmest room in the house.

I'll see how they go, but I saw a giant trough in B&Q for £20 which is wooden and lots of drainage so would like to get that and move them outside when they start sprouting.

I will be happy if I just get 1 tomato

 

[megsmeadow]

I just 'acquired' a wooden garden bench and loveseat this afternoon. They need a bit of attention but I have a wee hand sander and a lot of time on my hands since being signed off. Just need to get them here and keep the sun for the next few weeks!
We ended up in B&Q too and my OH finally bought an outdoor tap, he's been determined to do it for ages (we discovered what we thought was a tap outside actually comes straight off and drains the boiler!!). Some sweary words being banded about now though cause the drill bits seem to be too short to go through the kitchen wall
Veggies sound nice though. My grandad was renowned for his veggies. I had some indoor peppers last year that did really well but the succumbed to green fly in the end

 

[charliebear]

hmm, we dont use our shared garden but were toying with the idea of doing some potted veggies.
We've got a few free seeds so just need some pots.

 

[PippaJ]

We grow our own fruit and veggies (well my OH does) we have hanging baskets with strawberries in, tomatoes in grow bags, potatoes, lettice & carrots which we grow in big buckets (we haven't got the room for a proper veggie patch) and a kitchen full of herbs

I hope to get Evie out there with Daddy this year helping and we can't wait to move so we can have a proper garden with a veggie patch. I know when we are old and grey my OH will be spending most of his time in his shed at the bottom of the garden as he loves it so much!!

 

[Tonks]

Things are starting to sprout! Really chuffed how soon. The Peppers and Cucumbers are winning the race so far!

 

[Wobbles]

I'd love to do some bits ...

Potted veg/salad? What can you do in pots? I defo don't have an area of grass I could turn into growing my own here.

^ Hey any tips would be cool

 

[Rowesb]

lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes, cougettes, herbs, marigolds look ace cramed into a tub, sunflowers, chillis cucumbers... anything you want as long as you have a sunny spot

 

[Countrybumpkin]

Potatoes work excellent in pots, i had a super crop last year. I also grow tumbling tomatoes in hanging baskets and again had a super crop. I also grow carrots in pots which worked well until the dogs found them and started to help themself and the same with the strawberries.

Don't forget a nice herb garden.

 

[Rosie's Mummy]

Potatoes, first and second earlies in patio bags, strawberries, spring onions, lettuce, basil and all the soft herbs, at the moment Im picking purple sprouting and leeks from my veggie patch - delicious!

 

[Tonks]

When should I look at tying my tomatoes and cucumbers? Shall I keep bags over them?

They are still in my dining room, but plan to move them outside on hot days.

 

[Rowesb]

I tie my tomatoes when they have 3 or 4 branches... I have never kept them covered with bags though....

 

[JJ Mum]

I grow my own veg every year, the only other bits i do are my hanging baskets as I am a veg girl, love getting all that almost free veg.

courgettess, 1 or 2 plants , (1 per large pot as they get big) will give you loads of veg all summer
Carrots, spring onions, radish (if you like them, bit spicy for me)
Onions, lettece, toms , peppers (likes as much warmth as possible) - we have one that was late last year and so put in pot on window when it got cold as a shame to let the winter get it, and have had spicy red peppers all winter, and he has just gone back out to patio again, how long it will go on for - not sure!

Peas, climbing french beans with canes in pots are very tall and take no floor space, and lots herbs like oregano for pasta.

Get some rasberry or blackcurrent canes, goosberrys etc I just put min in the garden this year after about 6 years in pots and they fruited loads, for Jam and puddings and my freezer is still full of them f.or crumbles and stewed fruit. My kids like rasberry smashes on ice cream , (frozen raberrys, smashed after frozen with a rolling pin into tiny peices).

As a warning , you can get frosts upto end may, so be careful when putting outside yet, it's a gamble , last year I went early and it paid off, but could have lost them all , this year got one of those small plastic pretend greeenhouse things to protect them really if you can or use or make a cold frame.

So exciting - I love spring !

 

[Tonks]

I think mine won't live outside 24/7 until June. Once this wind dies down I'll put then out in the day and in at night as we do get lots of sun up here.

Not sure what to do with my tomatoes now. Will upload pics today so you girls can give me some advice cucumbers I've put into slightly bigger pots and I have a big planter waiting outisde too.

Bit gutted my peppers and aubergiene didn't grow so going to get some more seeds I think. Maybe potatoes and carrots as we eat loads of them, and some herbs

 

[PippaJ]

Have you got some space for a portable greenhouse? If so I recommend them as they are great for early spring when things are sprouting but it's still frosty at night. The one we have is just four plastic shelves that has a plastic cover that fits over the top and zips up the front, it's quite small so you don't need much space.

Pototoes and carrots are great too, they seem to grow everytime for us and don't seem to mind the rain too much and herbs are fab, you just need a nice sunny window sill in the kitchen and they will really take off basil and sage grow well for us and rosemary likes a shady but warm place in the garden

 

[hertsuk]

hi we have massive bk garden planted some ruhbarb this yr go to be able to use it this yr love it.we also have dogs but made them a dog pen so no go on to our bit of garden now.

 

[katia]

Don't forget to nip out the side shoots from you toms as they will grow very string and take away from the plant forming fruit. Use some chicken manure pellets for feeding too - you get bigger toms that way.