Anyone grow their own vegetables, herbs etc?

[LitNetIsGreat]

Paul that sounds fantastic, I bet it is good to get out of the house and dig over a little too. You can always take your book as well when you stop for a drink. I think when I get a little more time and experience I will look into getting a small plot myself maybe.

Virgil, thanks for the advice. I think you are right about getting a book on it, as already with your pointers and that of Kasie's I've realised that I've not done obvious things. Yes the chives have grown bulbs so they will probably survive. I read yesterday that you should get rid of some of the flowers (unless you want seeds) to help develop the stems - I guess that is the same with a lot of veg and herbs.

The video on basil I watched yesterday said that every two weeks you should spray fish fertilizer on them, so I don't no.

It is a shame that the tomato will die, I'm quite attached to that, I love the smell of the leaves if nothing else. I'm wondering if I cut a few of them off though if I am likely to get more than four tomatoes or is it too late now? I think I am going to get this book from the fellow dafydd recommended sounds good for what I want and it comes direct from the author with free seeds! http://www.allotment.org.uk/book/sma...ce-growing.php .

[kiki1982]

It's my ambition to grow my own now. I have already 4 walnut trees. I am getting lots of berries of different sorts off my parents. And then I have now peppers on my windowsill and tomatos.

And chives, oregano, basil (although a Fawlty plant daffyd!), thyme, rosemary, mint (great grower and fresh mint tea when we want it), sage.


There is no need for a big garden, Neely. Things like tomatos, pepper, beans, courgettes, pumpkins, berries, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, peas etc, anything that hasn't got deep roots like carrots, you can grow in pots. Fertilise, though, but otherwise, no problem.

My father says peppers and courgettes are great, you get a lot of one plant and it's not difficult. Hot or cold is always good.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Excellent Kiki - yes peppers sound great as well then, I love the Mediterranean stuff. True it seems you can grow a lot from tubs and anyway I don't want to take too much on just yet, learn to walk and all that.

Just been and bought a load of stuff - a lot of seeds are half price so might as well get a few things now. Also got some tomato feed for my lovely tomato plant on the front as well as a load of pots and things, compost - I've also got the best ever pump action water sprayer - I can't wait to use it!!!

Edit:

I've also got the best ever pump action water sprayer - I can't wait to use it!!!

It was right good.

[kasie]

Neely - I can see you've been bitten by the Gardening Bug: I'm sorry to have to tell you, this is now in your blood and is a life-long affliction, you will never be cured except by spending long periods in contact with your particular few yards of earth. I started off with one book, too, Basic Gardening by Alan Gemmell (Penguin): I have 5 foot of shelving devoted to gardening books now, one book too big to fit on any shelf and twelve magazine holders to try to keep the monthly mags in order - that's thirty years worth of accumulation, however. Just warning you, that's all....

kiki - mind where you plant the mint: if you put it directly into the soil, contain it in some way or it will run wild and take over everything. I've heard of people sinking bottomless buckets or some such cylinder into the ground to try and contain the roots. When I had a raised bed, I had a walled off section just for mints to try and contain them which worked well.

[kiki1982]

haha, Kasie, no I have them in pots! No way I am planting them in my garden! Because they indeed go wild, and I mean wild.

@ Neely:

I think it is too late to sow now. I don't think your plants will be big enough for the winter. But try doing it on the window sill. Then they stand in the warm and they won't freeze to death with their two little leaves, bless them.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Oh Kasie I didn't realise you was such a keen gardener. I'm off to the library today to hunt for books and to take back my overdue Idomeneo. This is partially in order to get more information of growing veg and partially to avoid relatives who are coming over shortly - it is not that I am anti-social, it's just that four kids running around the house isn't my idea of fun. Anyway I want to read up on stuff - I'm also meeting my brother for a few Belgians - not many mind, I don't like afternoon drinking as a rule, but I can't resist a couple of quality brews today.

Yes I've got a few plant pots on the window sills with basil, I keep on trying to raise the basil (Dafydd don't even comment!). I've also planted some mixed salad, though that's outside as it is an outside container and I don't think it likely to come up never mind. Of course I'm just messing around a little, next year I'm going to do it properly and get larger pots for the back. I definitely want carrots, tomatoes, peppers and I haven't decided what else yet, I'll read. I could do with something that grows well in shady conditions as half of the back is in almost permanent shade, I don't know what is likely to suit that though, not much I would have thought. Oh I want to move to a bigger house and garden!!

[kasie]

Kiki - the most beautiful mint garden I ever saw was in a walled garden of a big country house (open to the public for charity) - there were six or eight huge terracotta pots, thigh-high, lining the steps down into the garden; each pot contained a different variety of mint, growing luxuriantly, of course, and was labeled with a slate name stick, written on with silver ink. I aspire to such grandeur, naturally.....

Oh, Neely, be careful what you wish for - it may be granted.....

I'm more a flower and shrub person - I was taken to Wisley one summer and stood at the end of the herbaceous borders and sighed 'Oh, I wish I had borders like that!' Many years later we moved to a house with a three acre paddock - unbeknown to me, my husband arranged for the neighbouring farmer to come in and plough two long strips down the field. When we got home from work, he said, 'There's your Wisley borders - get on with it...' and it's taken me twenty years to get it to my liking. There were three further strips at the bottom of the field where he created his longed for orchard and soft fruit garden. I can't do so much myself any more - I fall over if I bend down, still running in the new hips - but when my husband first fell ill a friend stepped forward and offered to help and, bless him, he's still helping, though he considers it to be 'our' garden rather than mine! I can't grudge him the credit though!

Were I younger and self-reliant, I think I'd be going for vegs myself nowadays, though the flowers have given me much pleasure over the years.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Wow three acres and twenty years! Yes that would be scary but a great story. Yes I like flowers too of course (who doesn't) but ultimately I have always liked the idea of growing your own fruit and veg, herbs etc and taking one small step towards the romantic notion of self-sufficiency and cutting out the Tesco bills! Of course the reality is all very different, but the notion is all very comforting when you are stuck in a city and have to think about teaching for a living - a big house in the country somewhere to escape and all of that. Well, we might as well locate to a farm near the sea and we can catch fish while we are at it!!!

Really though next year I would be happy with a small supply of tomatoes, carrots, peppers and things, basil, definitely basil - it's all good for the kids too of course - get them involved, they love it, a few tubs will not be too much trouble anyway. Still need a bigger house and garden though, this damn cramped terrace is too small for my needs, I'm not fussy, a grand country mansion will do...by the sea...

[Lokasenna]

I'm currently looking after a friend's allotment while he's away on research leave, and its very relaxing to spend a few hours every now and then pottering about in the sunshine.

It's a huge allotment, though. There's loads of potatoes (serval different kinds), courgettes, runner beans, broccoli, kale, peas, onions, beetroot, swede, cabbage, lettuce, and all sorts of herbs. There is also a very productive cherry tree.

It's great fun, but there's no way in hell I could eat even a fraction of it, the amount of veg produced is so great - I'm giving loads away to friends and co-workers.

[LitNetIsGreat]

That sounds great Loka. That's the thing though, there is so much that can be potentially grown by an individual or a small group of individuals - plenty enough to give away to friends and family or even to trade for other goods. The potential is all there. It is not just the quantity though of course, but the all important quality; you can't beat the fresh stuff free from artificial growing and all that pumping them full of things that make them stay bright on the supermarket shelves, but consequently leaves them tasteless.

[Taliesin]

Well, our family has in our country home about 25 apple trees, about as much plum trees, some cherry trees, several gooseberry bushes, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, garlic, dill, basil, parsley, rucola, beans, strawberries, in the greenhouse cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes. And maybe something else that I have forgotten. And of course you can go the forest for berries and mushrooms when the season is right.


I think that this is rather common in Estonia, however, sometimes I think that it might be somewhat too much. It takes quite some work which can mean that one doesn't get much rest since one has to work in the garden. When one does it for fun, I guess it's okay but when it becomes a thing that one must do, then it becomes somewhat annoying. And it isn't like as if our only options are buying from the supermarket or growing our own - there is rather a nice market in our town where one can buy vegetables and other stuff like that.

[SleepyWitch]

aw, I envy all you guys who have a proper garden or allotment.

What do you have to do to get an allotment? Do you have to buy it or can you rent it? How long do you have to wait to get one?

Neely, when you put basil into your pasta sauce, do you add it first or last or somewhere in the middle? I can never get it right and it just tastes bland.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Speaking about grapes. Here they are:









/Claes

[papayahed]

On my balcony I have a pot where I throw seeds from mangos, cantaloupe, cherries, peppers, anything really. Right now I have two distinct types of plants sprouting up. One looks like it's going to be a tree the other is getting vine-y.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Wow. Taliesin and Claes fantastic stuff. I just love those grapes Claes and the seating area. I would be out there with a glass and a book all the time.

It seems that people have got their heads screwed on in Estonia. In the UK it is common practice to buy inferior fruit and vegetables from the supermarkets which have travelled a thousand miles instead of buying fresh, local produce or growing some of it yourself. I personally always try to get as much fruit and veg from the daily market in town as I can, because it just makes sense on every level. Of course there are great exceptions, especially if you live in rural areas, but I just get a feeling that too many people have become used to the convenience of supermarkets and have forgotten much about taste to even think about it. Sad really.

aw, I envy all you guys who have a proper garden or allotment.

What do you have to do to get an allotment? Do you have to buy it or can you rent it? How long do you have to wait to get one?

Neely, when you put basil into your pasta sauce, do you add it first or last or somewhere in the middle? I can never get it right and it just tastes bland.

Hi, you don't need a big garden (apparently) as you can grow a lot from tubs or window boxes. Of course it is going to help if you have got a big garden or access to an allotment, but you can still get quite a few things from small spaces - or so they say.

I was reading about allotments yesterday and apparently it is law that the local council provide so many allotment spaces per percentage of the local population, so they should be something available near to most people. You have to rent them from the council for a small annual fee and what is available will vary from place to place, as will the waiting list, so the best thing to do is to check out your local council's website for details.

As for the basil, you add it at the very last minute, seconds even. Basil will quickly lose its flavour if you cook it. Also don't cut it up, just put whole leaves in the finished pasta, lots of it, and it is guaranteed to bring the whole thing alive - add a little goat's cheese too. Serve with red wine!