the-gnole wrote:
Not really worth it if you take time and effort into account as a 112lbs of spuds in under a tenner when bought in bulk, but for sheer enjoyment of growing what you eat then it was OK.
That's what we've decided this year. We have the skills now, we know what we need to do to grow greats spuds but we cannot produce enough in the space we have to get us through the winter. So this year we are growing new potatoes as there's nothing like digging those first new spuds and eating them - lovely!
And then well by a big sack from the local far shop for the winter.
Well that is kind of a lightbulb moment. I can't say I have all the skills to grow great spuds, but mine were OK last year and given that my space is limited, the Gnole's comment about prices comes at a good time, as just today I was wondering where I'd put the potatoes I was planning on planting as I didn't want to put them in the same place. So I think I shall not grow them, or just do new potatoes in pots because as Su points out it's quite nice to have them.
My mother and I did mangetout peas, beans, carrots and courgettes in containers. There was also rhubarb in the garden and a few apples from the trees. It was quite a nice summer.
I have saved some of the seeds from my Halloween pumpkin and will be trying to grow that this summer to see if I can have Halloween pumpkin a la home grown this spooky season 2012.
reperio a solutio
Resident and Co-Ordinator of AREA 2 Area 2 = Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bucks
I grow tomatoes and lettuce indoors on windowsills - tomatoes on the front south facing side and lettuce on the back north facing side .. I have a decent sized garden but the the wind blows tomatoes down and slugs eat the lettuce, so is easier inside
preppingsu: that idea with the pallet is excellent. Herbs particularly, if installed on a sunny wall/fence near the backdoor it would be easy to access and the quantity grown would be manageable. We have stupidly located our herb garden some distance from the house: when cooking it's frustrating when you need (say) some parsley & have to put on wellies and walk the length of the garden, in the dark when its raining!