What is everyone growing this year?

[jansman]

It's that time of year again. Gardening time. I love it, a real time for optimism.
I am fortunate enough to have a large garden, but I am also developing a patio container garden too. This was very successful last year. Spinach beet, courgettes , tomatoes spuds and lettuce.
My little smallholding at the other end of the village I am losing this year, alas. So I am concentrating on squeezing as much out of the garden as possible.

So, already in the greenhouse I have started my onions, leeks and chilli peppers. There will be plenty of tomatoes as usual. I always grow lots of runner beans. I have tried other climbing beans, but the runners are so productive. I always salt down as many as I can( we prefer them to frozen, and when rinsed nearly as good as fresh).There willbe container potatoes. In the beds i am planning beetroots, parsnips and chard. I also grow a variety of pea , 'Champion of England' a climber which is very productive. We eat them fresh and then dry the rest for Winter use. I also dry one fence of runner beans to use for seed and for soaking to eat, just like red kidney beans. Later in the season I will plant kale and chinese greens. Lettuce and radish will be grown all year.

Well, that's my plan (hope it comes off ) what about you?

[Al_Shrew]

Just a small container garden for me. Although Toms did well her ladyship is a tom eater so will be leaving them alone. Carrots and potatoes did will so will be growing them again. Have some patio fruit trees (Apple, pear and cherry) hopefully something from them. Also have a blackcurrant bush which produced a little last year. Thinking of adding peas this year and mixed salad leaves. Oh have already got onions and garlic over wintering, not sure how well they'll do if the rains continue.

[jansman]

Mixed salad is great. A good addition to many meals. Have you seen the price of a bag of salad? very well worth growing. Helps your health and your wealth.

[grenfell]

This year will be largely the same as last year really. Peas, parsnips , beetroot, onions, cabbage ,salads and tomotoes and the like. I didn't do well at all with runner beans or peppers but I'm going to try again. Same with carrots , my garden doesn't seem to suit them and they never grow well but I'll persevere . I tried squash last year which went fine so I'll be doing them again. Last year I broke with tradition and actually brought some seed potatoes so I actually knew what I was growing and kept records. I have saved some for seed for this year although one I won't bother with are the Homeguards which we felt were poor croppers and also not the best flavour wise either. Fruit trees and bushes are already established so they will be there and hopefully the pears and almond trees will do better this year. After reading about the Jerusalem artichokes I have some tubers to go in which will really be the only real addition.

[moocher]

Way our garden looks right now,considering growing Vietnamese fish mint and rice ,

[preppingsu]

Way our garden looks right now,considering growing Vietnamese fish mint and rice ,

know what you mean!

Well after our successful polyculture experiment last year we will be doing the same thing this year. So some of our beds will be a mix of carrots, onions, parsnips, another beetroot, chard, spinach. A couple of beds of early potatoes but no main crop, its just not worth the effort. We have perennials planted - walking onions, Jerusalem artichoke, rhubarb and ransome (although not seeing any growth there at the moment ). Sweetcorn with squash underneath.

In one polytunnel will be salad stuff so tomatoes going up and underneath a polyculture effort of lettuces, radishes, edible flowers. Cucumbers too.
We will be putting in another polytunnel in the next couple of weeks, that will have beans, and a selection of other stuff.

I will be experimenting with a hugelkuktur bed this year, growing all sorts just to see what works.

Still have strawberries and raspberries, some currant bushes but hoping to add more. Putting in another plum tree next weekend.

In the greenhouse I want to build on the polyculture idea but trying some warmer climate stuff, so possibly looking at a peach tree or lemon and some other more exotic stuff. I intend to build a hot compost bin to heat the greenhouse.

Being out in the garden over the weekend has really focused my mind and I need to spend a lot more time out there!

[Al_Shrew]

Mixed salad is great. A good addition to many meals. Have you seen the price of a bag of salad? very well worth growing. Helps your health and your wealth.

They could both do with a helping hand that's for sure ! Had to move up a notch on the belt the other week !!

[Mr R]

Well, if this rain keeps up, it will be beans, peas, beans and beans! When the soil (clay) here is this sodden, the only veg that I can get to grow in the ground, are those listed above. Even if it does not rain for the next few months, little else will grow well.

As for the containers, the usual: tomatoes, carrots, chillis etc., etc. Good luck, everyone - fingers crossed for a good crop.

[nickdutch]

butternut squash (hopefully!)

Kept the seeds from the ones I got from the co-operative and morrisons

[lonewolf]

Webbed Feet!!!