Andy HortonStunning to me, only been growing veg since 2021, that I can pick these beans and peas fresh off their plants and be cooking them in minutes. #Gardening #VegetableGardening #Homegrown #GrowYourOwn #Beans
Liz@fechtbuch It's the best part of cooking for me these days: Bargainaceous yellow sticker something-or-other with a handful of garden veg. We've been largely home grown in the chilli department since 2003! There's not enough garden for 'The Good Life' but there's enough to make it fun.
@Shifty176 Yeah, it is fun. And rewarding. Im more than happy with “several meals’ worth” of crops, but I will be expanding next year. I have potatoes in my partner’s garden and in my balcony going to be cropping soon, too.
@fechtbuch when storm 'Arden' happened a couple of years ago we were gifted with all the wood from a neighbour's fence and gates, so with a bit of work we got 'free' raised beds. Potatoes, broad and runner beans, daikon for pickling. This year I've tried a bit of sweet corn and we'll have root veg for winter if the greeblies don't get them. Greenhouse is full of tomatoes, but the peppers aren't doing quite so well this year. I have no idea how I ever found time to go to work. Last year:
@Shifty176 Wow - that’s great! I just assembled a raised bed in the garden - going to be late crop potatoes then probably leeks and carrots.
@fechtbuch That's a bit posher than our old bits of fence! That looks about 2m x1.2m (6' x 4')? That's a good size to get you going.
If you can find rotted/rotting wood (without preservative!), that makes a fantastic bottom layer for your beds, and reduces the amount of compost you need. It also holds water, especially if you mulch over the top with bark bits. You're going to get picky about your vegetable flavours, because supermarket stuff is nothing like as good!
@Shifty176 Good tip! we have a lot of old leaves that I’ve raked out which are going into the bed. Did it with the beds I put in either side of the arch, also dug out from the lawn. Essex clay, so my mattock is my friend.
@Shifty176 I’ve really noticed the difference in flavour with homegrown veg.