It’s good to be green…
I am one of those people who likes to grow my own vegetables but although I have space to grow direct into the ground I prefer not to as the land has previously been used for a sandblasting business and I am a little unsure of the quality of the soil as well as being aware that it may be contaminated.
So, for several years, I have grown in pots. These take several shapes and forms such as hanging baskets for tomatoes although I have to admit the crop was not that good and this year I am going back to the old system of buckets which cost me 99p from B&Q.
- Image by Living in Monrovia via Flickr
Strawberries fared much better in hanging baskets and looked quite pretty when in flower. After some investigation I managed to get my hands on an empty plastic barrel that once contained screen wash from a local garage that they were throwing out. After a good scrub out, I cut it in half, painted the outside green (the only exterior paint I had) and I grow my root vegetables in them such as parsnips, carrots, onions and garlic as the pots as they are quite deep.
Over the years I have experimented and have grown in some very strange things. Admittedly some work and some don’t i.e. old wellington boots are great for runner beans but I would only put 2 plants in each boot and I then grow them up the side of my caravan.
I am a big fan of perpetual spinach as it has survived throughout the year with very little attention required, it has also grown through snow and survived replanting the following year. Cut and come again salad leaves are also a great as even the most inexperienced gardener can get a quick success with these. At the moment I am germinating my seedlings for this spring on the windowsill at work and I grew peppers in a bean can (large catering size) in the works kitchen which raised a few eyebrows but all in a good way.
The only downside to growing in pots is that the larger leafed plants can be difficult or near impossible to grow unless you can train them to climb and personally I have tried cucumbers and courgettes but with little success though they did go well in the screen-wash pots which I believe is down to a larger surface area.
So here is my challenge to you – find something odd, grow something in it and let me know how you get on.
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
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10 Responses to It’s good to be green…
All that jazz – All in A Day
Review of: Cousin Alice Jazz Music by Cousin Alice: Elaine Sturgess Reviewed by: Elaine Sturgess Rating: 5 On January 21, 2012 Last modified: January 30, 2012 Summary: What makes Alice so distinctive is her wonderfully smokey voice, a quality that furniture designer William Yeoward found so arresting at a concert she was performing for the [...]
I have seen many things used over the years, my fave has to be the empty toilets that in time overflow with many different flowers.
I love the hanging basket strawberries, I may attempt them this year – again
(I have yet to reach the age where I enjoy gardening)
I have seen many things used over the years, my fave has to be the empty toilets that in time overflow with many different flowers.
I love the hanging basket strawberries, I may attempt them this year – again
(I have yet to reach the age where I enjoy gardening)
I have just bought one solitary red bell pepper from my local Tesco. My intention is to milk it for its seeds.
Last summer I tried planting the seeds from a similar pepper to see what would happen. People told me I was nuts to think seeds from it would germinate. Within a week I had an absolute forest of seedlings.
So I’m hoping this lot will get going in my (indoor) porch in time to flourish in this warm, balmy summer we hope to have …..
Any advice on pepper growing? I know chillis do well in the UK but bell peppers may be another ballgame.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
I have just bought one solitary red bell pepper from my local Tesco. My intention is to milk it for its seeds.
Last summer I tried planting the seeds from a similar pepper to see what would happen. People told me I was nuts to think seeds from it would germinate. Within a week I had an absolute forest of seedlings.
So I’m hoping this lot will get going in my (indoor) porch in time to flourish in this warm, balmy summer we hope to have …..
Any advice on pepper growing? I know chillis do well in the UK but bell peppers may be another ballgame.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Years ago we grew some really good potatoes in an old bath. The local greengrocer gave us the empty potato sacks that contained a bit of peat – and some sprouty bits of potato, and we put them in the bath a layer at a time, and ended up with a bath full of very good new potatoes.
We also grew cabbages and cauliflower that year, and planted little mangetout pea plats around the bath. None of them ever made it inside to be cooked though.
Years ago we grew some really good potatoes in an old bath. The local greengrocer gave us the empty potato sacks that contained a bit of peat – and some sprouty bits of potato, and we put them in the bath a layer at a time, and ended up with a bath full of very good new potatoes.
We also grew cabbages and cauliflower that year, and planted little mangetout pea plats around the bath. None of them ever made it inside to be cooked though.
I love doing this, Angie and this year will see the most eclectic collection of planters possible. We don’t have much proper garden but I do have a “back yard” area that will be full of flower. So far I’ve started collecting a few bean tins, retrieved the old tyres when new ones were necessary for the car (for potatoes), and dug out old and rusting hanging baskets – I hang one under the other thus catching the water that always overflows. I love this kind of gardening (did I mention that?) and would love a bath tub such as Ann mentions, and I used to have an old toilet, and I’m not sure where that ended up – my ex hated it, considering it vulgar rather than cheekily amusing.
We will update you with our endeavours – and thank you for the reminder…
Twitter: babssaul
I love doing this, Angie and this year will see the most eclectic collection of planters possible. We don’t have much proper garden but I do have a “back yard” area that will be full of flower. So far I’ve started collecting a few bean tins, retrieved the old tyres when new ones were necessary for the car (for potatoes), and dug out old and rusting hanging baskets – I hang one under the other thus catching the water that always overflows. I love this kind of gardening (did I mention that?) and would love a bath tub such as Ann mentions, and I used to have an old toilet, and I’m not sure where that ended up – my ex hated it, considering it vulgar rather than cheekily amusing.
We will update you with our endeavours – and thank you for the reminder…
Twitter: babssaul
what a great idea. At the moment though with our tempt we’re lucky even our house plants are still alive…but having said that when summer rolls around there is an old boat of my husbands i have had my eye on for planting stuff in…
what a great idea. At the moment though with our tempt we’re lucky even our house plants are still alive…but having said that when summer rolls around there is an old boat of my husbands i have had my eye on for planting stuff in…