I have begun my first foray into the world of veggie growing

[Piglet6]

And bought some seed potatoes. 10 x First Earlies "Premiere". I have set them out to chit. I will be planting 5 and will be giving the other 5 to a friend (I don't want THAT many spuds!)

Hubby has been very 'against' all this again and has very unfairly said NO to ordering a coldframe (even though it will be with my own money, and it won't look unsightly in the garden). The very next day I though "sod it" and went out, got the seed potatoes, a couple of potato planter sacks with harvest flaps, a little propogator, and some seeds). Pah!

I've been working hard on noting down what I need to do and when, having to work it all out from books and seed packets. I'm slowly getting there.

My plan at the moment is to grow:

Potatoes (x 5 seed potatoes)
Chillies (x 2 or 3 plants)
Tomatoes (x 3 plants)
Peas (x 2 or 3 plants)
Pumpkin (x 2 plants)
Beetroot (about 5?)
Carrots (as many as I can fit into the 2nd potato sack)
possibly some leeks if I have a pot left, or have the money to sneak another pot onto the patio without 'anyone' noticing

Of course this may ALL change if hubby threatens divorce!

[Piglet6]

Forgot runner beans on the list. (3 or 4 plants)

[Primrose]

Piglet - if you're new to vegetable growing, can I offer a word of advice? Pumpkins and other winter squashes are fine to grow if you have a large amount of space available. They're not really suitable for growing in pots as they spread like crazy and will rapidly swamp all the other vegetables growing nearby, as I have found to my cost. In the same amount of space you could probably grow three or four "tumbling" type tomato plants (little bushes about a foot which spread about 12 inches across and are about 10 - 12 inches high, which will perhaps give you better value for money.
You sound as if you're planning to grow your vegetables in containers. If so, you will need a fairly deep one for the climbing beans, with the poles embedded quite deeply into the containers; otherwise when they start to grow up the poles the weight of the foliage and the beans will cause them to topple over.

Don't let yourself be discouraged by your husband's attitude. It may change when he starts enjoy eating the results of your labours.

[Piglet6]

Hi Primrose, thanks for the advice on the pumpkins. Might hang fire on those this year then.

The runner beans and peas will be snuck into an empty bit of garden flower bed. We have a frame that is not being used at the moment (the clematis died a couple of years ago), so I'll use that for the runner beans, and I'll grow the peas up the wall (with support canes).

I have been very careful/sneaky/cunning in choosing all things that grumpy hubby likes.

The potatoes and carrots will be in the potato planters, the tomatoes in a grow-bag when they are big enough, the rest of the stuff will be in big pots.

The chillies will be nurtured indoors until they are safe enough to go outside (June?). I'll put them in the sunniest and nicely sheltered spot in front of the house by my front door. I hope they should enjoy it there.

[retropants]

Hello Piglet6!

So glad you are venturing into growing veg, you won't regret it, and neither will your DH, hopefully, once he realises how great everything tatses, and how wonderful they will look growing in their pots. It sounds like you have a good plan, and have researched a bit about growing conditions etc.
Good on ya and big fat raspberrys to your husband (sorry!!)

[Piglet6]

LOL @ raspberries, RetroPants.

Hubby's requirements are:-
* that I do my fair share of the housework (we split the jobs)
* that the garden still looks neat and tidy
* that nothing gets in the way of the lawnmower (or he'll most likely run over it on purpose).
* if he has to weed or water it it will get chucked away!!!!!!!!!

I'll struggle with working full-time and cooking and doing the housework(after being made redundant 6 months ago I have managed to find myself what I hope to be a lovely little job), but I'll just have to shake-a-leg and get it done.

[Nature's Babe]

LOL,Hi Piglet, if your hubby likes peas, you might need more than 3 or 4 plants, if it were me I think with his attitude I would be inclined to eat them raw and deliciously sweet from the vine, and blow him another raspberry lol. Peas need a sunny spot to develop sweetness.
Another alternative to squash might be 3 outdoor cucumbers grown up canes, protect from slugs, there are organic slug pellets available now, or crushed eggshells are a deterrant. Also if space is limited pots can be stacked if they have a narrow base, large, then med and small on top, this works well for herbs and such.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Piglet6, i'm pretty certain when he gets to see the vegetables growing he will be as keen as yourself.

Well here's hoping.

[The Mouse]

Hubby's requirements are:-
* that I do my fair share of the housework (we split the jobs)
* that the garden still looks neat and tidy
* that nothing gets in the way of the lawnmower (or he'll most likely run over it on purpose).
* if he has to weed or water it it will get chucked away!!!!!!!!!

You have my sympathies, Piglet.

My OH doesn't share my passion, and often seems to resent the time I spend gardening.

Your husbands requirements are not too different from my OH´s, either:

* that I do virtually all the housework.
* that the garden still looks neat and tidy (just in case he ventures out there with a cup of tea!
* that nothing gets in the way of me using the lawnmower or hedgetrimmer.
* if he has to weed, the 'proper' plants will disappear, and if he has to water they will almost certainly die!

But unlike you, I do have the advantage of working from home, so it's much easier to fit the little garden jobs in during the day.

What will really drive you mad (it does me, anyway) is when he starts saying to people: 'we grow all our own veg, you know'.

[Piglet6]

Nature's Babe - if I can fit more peas in then I might do so. I tasted some fresh out of the pod at my parent's place last summer and they were lush!

OH, I dearly hope you are right with that one

Mouse, I'm glad there is someone else 'out there' in cyber-space that has to deal with this antagonistic attitude too. I'm in Northamptonshire too (South), whereabouts are you?

[The Mouse]

Mouse, I'm glad there is someone else 'out there' in cyber-space that has to deal with this antagonistic attitude too. I'm in Northamptonshire too (South), whereabouts are you?

I'm near Towcester.
It must be something in the local air (or water) that makes our menfolk so anti-gardening!

[glallotments]

Hi Primrose,

The potatoes and carrots will be in the potato planters, the tomatoes in a grow-bag when they are big enough, the rest of the stuff will be in big pots.

If attractiveness is important - growbags can be a bit tatty what about some bush tomatoes that bear cherry sized fruits and that would trail attractively over a large pot. Some companies now advertise some varieties as patio plants.

Also we have grown beetroot in amongst flowers as the leaves van look really attractive so maybe you could sneak some in and say they were ornamental.

[Piglet6]

GLAllotments, luckily the grow-bag will be hidden round the side of the shed that can't be viewed from the house and hubby is ok with that - or at least he WAS back in September! I do also have some GartenPerle seeds which would be suitable to be planted out in pots once warm enough.

We have been in this house for the last 8 years and haven't yet 'done the garden'. When the time comes there will be MAJOR works happening involving building retaining walls and hiring a mini-digger.


Hey Mouse, I'm 10 minutes drive south of Towcester. I'm starting work on Monday at Pury Hill.

[Elaine]

Hi Piglet6. Unless you are particularly fond of chili peppers, you might only want to grow two plants, as in my experience, you will end up with hundreds of chillies from three plants. With two plants, if one fails you will still have a crop. As for beetroot, once you have tasted home grown, you will wish you had grown more than five! As GLallotments said, they look good amongst your ornamentals too.

I guess I'm very fortunate that my husband is as enthusiastic about growing food crops as myself but we do have an allotment. His one stipulation is, ornamentals are for our garden at home (postage stamp sized ) cos you don't eat them. However, I grow sunflowers for the birds and French marigolds amongst the brassicas in an attempt to deter white flies. Doesn't always work but it looks lovely!

Good luck in your venture....I just know you will love it!
Cheers.

[Piglet6]

Thank you Elaine. I'm looking forward to it all, and will no doubt be on here asking for advice and letting you all know how it's going.

I really really hope that I can win hubby round. Even if he just comes round to "oh, I SUPPOSE you can do it again next year" rather than the "NO" that I'm getting now!

I could plant some beets in the bed. I have spied a little gap where they could go Last year hubby did ask if I could make him some more beetroot chutney, so if he asks I could tell him that I need them to make the chutney. LOL

Thanks everyone for your help and advice.