Kitchen Garden Forum

Both my greenhouses have soil in the borders. The large one has a base layer of sand with heating cables in one side. Then I put quite a deep layer of compost on top. Then I usually grow the tomatoes, and things in bottomless pots on top of this so they are planted into fresh compost but can roam into the other if they want. This makes them easier to water as they aren't restricted to just the pots. I can then sow and plant salad things, dwarf beans and anything else all around in the soil. I just refresh it occasionally with fresh compost and a bit of blood fish and bone or q4x or whatever I think it needs.

It's very useful if you can't be there all the time for watering because you can flood the beds thoroughly with the hose once a week or so and the plants can get to the moisture.

I was going to go containers only, but was advised to think about it, so I now have a choice and can do both, as plumpud said the watering options are better.

Hi Richard!

I grow in containers in the greenhouse - definitely not bags unless turned on end. I think I would prefer to have proper soil though but where I sited the greenhouse just happened to be where all the builders rubble got dropped from the whole estate - or so it seems! I have successes & failures, but feel it is all down to topping up the soil each year & enriching it & monitoring the watering which I was over enthusiastic about initially, but learnt from on here not to do it routinely but when needed.

Keep looking on the gumtree type sites for local bargains! I've seen loads for free if you collect & dismantle!

These are golden acre primo and Romanesque along with some French beans

Seed sown red onions and leeks, peas and broad beans.

3 different coloured beetroots and my second sowing of carrots after the first failed to germinate, I will take the cover off in about a month when the carrots and celeriac have grown a bit.

Looks great Tiger!

There is one wee broad bean there with flowers on it! Hint on crop to come & happy in it's spot!

Broad beans are a long way behind where they should be, but I'm sure I'll get a few eventually, those beets at the front are white ones, massive tops, just hope we get some roots, never grown those before. My late dear old dad always grew something every year that he'd not grown before, this is one of mine in homage to his gardening he passed on to me.

Your plants all look very healthy and well fed Tiger. You've spurred me on to get spreading more compost.

I know what you mean about keeping the connection with your father through gardening. I often think about things he said and did while gardening. On a couple of occasions I've even got a whiff of St Bruno pipe smoke, but it must have been my imagination.

The aftermath of the storm the other day, not too bad, most things have picked up again.

White cabbage and Romanesque seem to be doing well.

The greenhouse seems to coming along well too

The rabbit proofed bit survived in their sheltered corner, sprouts are coming along, as are celeriac, courgette and swedes, tatties looking good too.

Even the flowers don't look too bad, though I know the roses need pruning properly


Looks like I might get my first crop of Honeyberries, anyone else have them?

Tiger - that is amazing! It looks fantastic, lots of hard work gone into that but how lucky to have this just outside your door!

Go on - pat yourself on the back, you deserve it!

Most kind Westi, a lot of self seeded or broadcast seeding of the aquilegias and stocks, I just like old cottage plants/feel, not easy in the cold north east of Scotland.

Everything has benefitted from the rain and the greenhouse is welcoming the rise in temperatures again.



How do you guys eat your sugar snaps, as mange tout or do you leave them to swell?

Hi Tiger

I like to let mine swell a bit then cut through them vertically after cooking - I just like the look of the wee peas in the pod. I unfortunately only have one plant though - mice or birds got the rest of the seeds I think! I was highly disappointed in how many were in the packet to begin with without them taking some as well, so have re-swown my chinese bed with mange tout.

I let some of each of the Borage, Cornflowers and Poppies that germinate grow through and seed for following years, they're easy to distinguish from weeds.
This year all the poppies are this gorgeous colour.