Posted July 1, 2013 Well this weekend was the anniversary of my first year in my new house, and during that year we've made major changes to the place.... kitchen, bedroom, downstairs bathroom etc and specifically the back garden. All summer last year, and any sunny days this year so far I've been working in the garden with my dad. Taking down an old shed, clearing loads of junk, new fence put up and finally reshaping the garden to accommodate a strip of garden for growing things. Next month I'm looking to put a new shed in the garden then I can finally buy wood chippings, and lay them down around and i'll be satisfied with the garden layout, then I can concentrate of more plants. For the actually gardening aspect... In May I started growing my first batch of Potatoes, Last week I started my first batch of Carrots, and this weekend just gone planted some more Carrots, Beetroots, Tomatoes and 3 chili plants. My plans for next weekend aren't as exciting, but shall be making room for a mint plant, and trying my hand at runner beans (apparently still have enough time for a harvest. Not confident though) Do any of you guys/girls dabble in gardening? Do you grow your own veg in the summer? Guess it's a sign of me getting old when days like today i'm looking forward to getting home and putting more time on the garden with a beer or 2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 1, 2013 I'll be buying my first house early next year and I will definitely be growing my own veg, it's a great idea and food is only going to get more expensive. I definitely want solar panels too in order to live the good life. I live in Basingstoke, but plan on moving to Southampton as the homes tend to be older there and have bigger gardens. Do you make your own compost? I am going to try and avoid buying fertiliser and make compost using food waste and other things like fallen leaves. When I get my own garden, I will divide the area for fruit and veg into 30cm x 30cm squares and will have around 100 of these for various vegetables. Some crops need less space, like onions, so I will try and be as efficient as possible. If I can persuade my wife, we will also have around 3-4 chickens and give them a nice and big coop and run to live in. Apparently they make good pets and it saves the inside of the house getting messy. Yup, I feel old too... I will be 27 soon, so perhaps I am! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) I like the idea, but I don't do much myself anymore. My parents have always done a bit here and there and I grew up helping(guess that's where I get the liking from) as well as my dad having an allotment since before I was born. I guess part of my not doing much is that it isn't 'my' garden, and my dad just does some crazy shit so I cba fighting over it. My piece of advice with the mint would be to be careful if you're planting it in the ground and not a pot, iirc it can spread annoyingly over time/be difficult to get rid of. If you're gonna be using it in your own cooking, I'd recommend planting your own Rosemary and Thyme plants too. Not for any real benefit, just it's nice to have your own and I think they smell lovely too. I think we've got rosemary in the garden that we don't really use, but having the thyme plant can be quite handy sometimes(I personally love thyme, even though like my gardening, my cooking is pretty non-existent...and shit). Edited July 1, 2013 by Rummy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 2, 2013 I'll be buying my first house early next year and I will definitely be growing my own veg, it's a great idea and food is only going to get more expensive. I definitely want solar panels too in order to live the good life. I live in Basingstoke, but plan on moving to Southampton as the homes tend to be older there and have bigger gardens. Do you make your own compost? I am going to try and avoid buying fertiliser and make compost using food waste and other things like fallen leaves. When I get my own garden, I will divide the area for fruit and veg into 30cm x 30cm squares and will have around 100 of these for various vegetables. Some crops need less space, like onions, so I will try and be as efficient as possible. If I can persuade my wife, we will also have around 3-4 chickens and give them a nice and big coop and run to live in. Apparently they make good pets and it saves the inside of the house getting messy. Yup, I feel old too... I will be 27 soon, so perhaps I am! No I've not made my own compost, when we moved in the previous tenants had a compost bin in the corner, and a massive pile of it too, so we've got a good supply for a while, But I'm not really contributing to it myself though. When it's gone, that'll be it. I like the idea, but I don't do much myself anymore. My parents have always done a bit here and there and I grew up helping(guess that's where I get the liking from) as well as my dad having an allotment since before I was born. I guess part of my not doing much is that it isn't 'my' garden, and my dad just does some crazy shit so I cba fighting over it. My piece of advice with the mint would be to be careful if you're planting it in the ground and not a pot, iirc it can spread annoyingly over time/be difficult to get rid of. If you're gonna be using it in your own cooking, I'd recommend planting your own Rosemary and Thyme plants too. Not for any real benefit, just it's nice to have your own and I think they smell lovely too. I think we've got rosemary in the garden that we don't really use, but having the thyme plant can be quite handy sometimes(I personally love thyme, even though like my gardening, my cooking is pretty non-existent...and shit). Yeah I'll only keep mint in a pot, I've seen my friends garden after he planted mint into the ground and it really does take over rapidly. Never thought of Rosemary & Thyme plants, that's a good shout. Perhaps shall add to the list of tasks this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 2, 2013 Yes! I've bought quite a few plants over the last year, I've also got a couple of hanging baskets. My pride and joy are my sweet peas. I've grown them from seed- I had them in the house from March to May then planted them out. They just started flowering this week! I'll take a photo when it's not chucking it down. Rosemary grows quite quickly and thyme seems to be grow just nicely. I really enjoy gardening, just wish the weather was a bit nicer at the moment so I could enjoy all the hard work I've put in! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 27, 2013 I'll be buying my first house early next year and I will definitely be growing my own veg, it's a great idea and food is only going to get more expensive. I definitely want solar panels too in order to live the good life. I live in Basingstoke, but plan on moving to Southampton as the homes tend to be older there and have bigger gardens. Do you make your own compost? I am going to try and avoid buying fertiliser and make compost using food waste and other things like fallen leaves. When I get my own garden, I will divide the area for fruit and veg into 30cm x 30cm squares and will have around 100 of these for various vegetables. Some crops need less space, like onions, so I will try and be as efficient as possible. If I can persuade my wife, we will also have around 3-4 chickens and give them a nice and big coop and run to live in. Apparently they make good pets and it saves the inside of the house getting messy. Yup, I feel old too... I will be 27 soon, so perhaps I am! Great man your plans were awesome... I hope you have achieved your dreams.. Even I am shifting to my new home soon and have similar plans Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
