Who inspired you to get digging?

[Seahorse]

I've read a lot of gardening books lately and in almost all of them the author refers to someone who kindled their love of gardening at an early age, most often a grandparent.

I too have fond memories of my Grandad in his vegetable garden. I grew up in an extended family (mum, grandparents, uncle) on a dairy farm and we had quite a big area dedicated to crops to feed us through the year. My most vivid memories are of harvesting potatoes, the smell of piles of apples in the cellar and Grandad's efficient but brutal pest control method in relation to leatherjackets!

My Grandad is still going strong at the age of 91 and I know he's delighted that the family tradition of horticulture is continueing

I'd love to hear other people's stories.

Claire

[TonyF]

Charlie Marriott, father of a girl I was once engaged to, brilliant gardener and lovely all round bloke.

None of my family gardened at all - hang over thing for my Dad from captivity in the far east during the War so I had to learn as I went along.

Recently, Geoff Hamilton, Christopher Lloyd, Beth Chatto and Graham Stuart Thomas and among the older gardeners, Margery Fish.

[Digger-07]

I must admit it was my Grandad. He had a great allotment with veg, chickens, a pig and a goat. Not to mention the rats, cats, greyhound. He was a real hard worker but always had time for me. I just wish I was half as patient.

[Snadger]

My father was an accomplished gardener, but wasn't too keen on me getting involved so................

My uncle had a smallholding and gave me free reign to grow whatever I wanted to in exchange for me building his chicken runs for him!

At about 10 years old I was probably cultivating an average allotment sized area, and my quest for World domination has now stretched to two allotments of my own!

[shirlthegirl43]

I have fond childhood memories of my mum making me weed onion beds (and I wonder why I haven't tried to grow them yet). I also remember eating brocolli straight from the plant and searching for ages to find sprouts!!!

[JennieAtkinson]

My Mum for flowers and Dad (when we were children) for the vegetables.

My parents last house in a small village in Wales had the most beautiful garden which they created from absolutely nothing. Small but just perfect with a little bit of formality (roses and trees) and the rest blousy cottage garden beds. I always admired what they achieved and even when they were both very ill with cancer they still found much happiness in the garden. So when I'm out weeding or digging I always picture them in my mind somewhere in the garden giving me a hand.

[kernowyon]

my dear, departed grandad. he always used to come and stay over easter bank holiday weekend. the whole garden would be planted over the course of the four days, it didn't matter if it was an early or late easter, that was the way his grandad did it so that was that.

after i left home, i didn't bother much with gardening until i met my current partner, being originally from eastern europe her family grew everything and she has re-ingnited the spark

[rustylady]

My Grandad! Nan and Grandad lived just five minutes away from us and he had the patience of a saint. He used to let me trail around after him from about the age of 4, had a lovely big back garden where he used to grow veg, fruit and flowers and an allotment too. He used to let me help and when I was big enough he let me have a bit of the lotment for my very own - gave me seed and helped in a nice way. My stuff always grew (I think, looking back, that he did a lot of "behind the scenes" work for me, but it worked).

[shirlthegirl43]

My Mum for flowers and Dad (when we were children) for the vegetables.

My parents last house in a small village in Wales had the most beautiful garden which they created from absolutely nothing.

Where in Wales Jennie?

[Flummery]

My Dad grew veg when we were kids. My fond memory is of being starving (again) about 8.30 in the evening - after me tea had worn off - and being allowed to lift a root of new potatoes and a few carrots to boil and eat with butter for supper. This would be at the age when I was always hungry - early teens. He grew toms outdoors - anyone remember sigmabush? and french beans which I wouldn't eat - oh and how I love them now! He loved his rhubarb and blackcurrants even when age and ill health led to the rest of his garden being lawn. He always made jam and marmalade too - must be where I get it from!

[JanieB]

Both my grandmother's loved their gardens. One had a small city garden, but it was immaculate with flowers, neatly kept lawn and a pond. She even grew geraniums in pots in the yard where the outside loo and bathhouse was.

My other grandmother had a huge house that she bought and opened as a cottage hospital (before NHS). Her garden was her refuge from the work of running the hospital. It included a very long Victorian greenhouse.

I was brought up in a house with a 3.5 acre garden. We had a full-time gardener but he would only deal with the fruit and veg. Us children had to do the rest on our weekends (we boarded at school).

I married a farmer and had a cottage garden that was all my own. Apart from clearing it when we first moved in my ex was never interested in gardening. He said he had over 400 acres to "garden" and he didn't need any more.

I now have a garden (very overgrown) and a lotty (ditto). I can't wait til the weather allows me to get on them again and get them into shape.

[Nicos]

I think it must be in my blood as most of the members in my family tree going back a couple of hundred years have been Agricultural Labourers!

I loved helping my father in our garden when I was tiny and the smell of bonfires......hmmmmmm

[sewer rat]

My grandad started me off and then my dad took over - neither could be "a*sed" with flowers, so veg it was

[Blue Shed]

My dad was a keen gardener - more by virtue of his tight fistedness than a love of the soil to begin with, so from an early age my weekends were spent at the allotment. At the age of 7 he let me have a little patch of garden, and I sowed a packet of Cosmos, to this day one of my favourite annual flowers.
On leaving home, I spent several years in Central London, and lost touch with garden. Finally, a new partner and a move to the suburbs rekindled my interest, and I've had an allotment since 2001.
A recent enforced house move has meant that we now live too far from the old allotment, and we've taken another near our new house. We've cut down the brambles, we're in the process of removing the roots and the couch, and the Christmas break will be spent putting together raised beds.

[Jardiniere]

Absolutely no one in my family gardened we did have a garden once or twice when i was younger but i think it was probably grass....(lawn)
so no idea where its come from......
been interested in self sufficiency since the 1960s tho ....but last year was first time i could really get into it....