How did you get into gardening?

[Lozzie]

Just out of curiosity, what started off your interest in gardening? Did you start doing it as a hobby or for more practical reasons?

My interest in gardening is a bit of a family legacy. My father and grandfather (on my mother's side) were very keen gardener. Grandad got me one of my first Christmas presents (a pine tree) and my father planted it in the garden. It's still here to this day. Ever since I was little, I used to help my father in the garden. We tried our hand at lots of things: raspberries, strawberries (also still there), roses etc. His favourite was kidney beans. Every summer we used to grow them and eat the pods. My grandfather used to grow potatoes and keep chickens for their eggs.

Sadly, both my father and my grandfather have passed away. It's thanks to them I got my interest in gardening. I'm hoping to create a memorial garden for them, just to thank them for being in my life.

[eskymo]

I got into gardening at an early age as well, but don't really remember what I did when I was younger apart from help the elderly neighbours out with their weeding for a bit of extra cash. I've looked through some of the old family photo albums and there are a lot of pictures of my dad's vegetable plot - he grew a lot of potatoes and we helped him harvest them, though I don't really remember doing it, there are photo's to prove it. He gre a lot of sweet peas as well, but not sure if he grew any other vegetables apart from potatoes.

I got my first garden when I moved inwith my OH several years ago and gre my own vegetables for the first time. I've always dreamed to be self sufficient and so that was me getting onto the first rung of the ladder, despite having a tiny tiny patch only 1m x 3m.

Since then we've moved to Fife and I've got my first real garden and 2/3rds of it are devoted to vegetables and the like and I love it. Still not self succient but working on it.

[Lilli M]

Two tiny tomato plants got me hooked.

I'd never touched gardening until I got my house 9 years ago. First I made a few small flower borders as you do, then I discovered that I could grow things from seed, so the borders got bigger and bigger and the grass area just got smaller.

Then my mum gave me 2 tomato plants. That was it! I was hooked. I began growing veg in pots but soon made the decision to dig up up the bottom half of the garden (unfortunately, some of the flowers had to go) and made a vegetable plot. I just can't get enough of it.

I still enjoy the flower garden but with vegetables it's double bubble, you grow it from a tiny seed which costs next to nothing, look after it, it looks good then you eat it! What more could you want!

[Sunbeam]

I only really got into gardening this year - Ive always had a couple of tomato plants on the go - but this is the 1st home I've owned & felt I could dig up half the front lawn for a patch..!! (my landlady in London would've flipped if I'd even touched her beloved lawn!!) I decided to grow my own as I am an avid cook and get fed up with the poor quality veggies I get at the supermaket... my broccoli tasted completely different from that I bought in the store - it was a million times more tastey even though it had started to bolt!

[Gryfon]

I blame it on my mum and step nan who are both into gardening

[nick the grief]

My Dad was a keen gardener (flowers fruit & veg) had 2 lotties & about 3 gardens he did for old ladies plus ours. Plus 4 greenhouses (one with 300 varieties of Fuchsia's in & one with his Cacti collection in)

But I hate gardening well I did until a few years ago. My wife complained that here arms were getting wet when she hung out the washing cos the lawn was that tall sooo I did our back garden then got interested from there & now have a 160' garden at home & a lottie plot! My wife now moans that she never see's me!!


Woman eh, you can't live with 'em & you can't live with 'em

[lyndap]

My grandad(maternal side)lived with our family,and he grew vegs and fruit,and did most of the gardening,and we were occasionally allowed to 'help'.My nan(paternal side) grew vegs and flowers,and again on visits I was always encouraged to 'help'.Nan was only sayinga few days ago about how her love of growing veg skipped a generation to me, cos my dad hated gardening and my aunt hasn't got a clue .Now it's my turn to encourage my grandchildren to 'help' me,and suddenly my daughter has got the bug as well must be catching!.The runner beans we grow have been handed down through several generations(at least the seeds have )and we now cannot remember what they are called.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I have always loved the countryside, bird watching etc. then I discovered River Cottage and Cook on the Wild Side by Hugh F-W. My back garden was a wilderness, so I finally took the plunge earlier on this year. best thing I ever did! I'm learning as I go along, and thanks to everyone on the grapeviine and their useful advice, I'm learning quickly. I love being able to nip out first thing in a morning and see what progress my plants are making, then spending an hour or so, pottering about when I get home from work. My first crop was some new potatoes - super! Cant wait for everything else to be ready for eating! Happy days! dexterdog

[valmarg]

Mum and Dad had a small greengrocery shop, at the back of which was a fabulous 45' x 15' greenhouse, with wonderful coldframes. The greenhouse was heated by a coke boiler, with iron pipes going round the edge. (What I wouldn't give to have that greenhouse now!!)

I used to love to be in there with dad and grandad. It is so difficult to explain the 'grow your own' bug. but I seem to be the only member of the family that has caught it.

To go out into the garden and pick the very 'fresh' fruit and veg is the biggest reward for all your efforts earlier on.

We have good years and bad years, but whatever crop we get it is more than worthwhile, don't ya think????

valmarg

[bramble]

Gardening has always been in our family on both sides. My fathers father specialised in growing celery. At a very early age myself and my sister were handed a watering can to help during the dry weather.
My father worked in The Agricultural Institute which is a semi state body and when he was there they were experimenting with cucumbers ,trying to grow seedless varieties and also grow year round tomatoes and lots of other things including Fuschias. My dad also grew roses in his spare time and imported bud wood from holland and bred his own roses. We also had all our fruit and veg home grown, so i knew at an early age that i was going to do the same. I don't think i could have inherited a greater or fulfilling gift.

[blackkitty]

My mom had real green fingers but she grew mostly flowers. I started growing veg because we seem to live in a bit of a 'food desert' and I was really struggling to get decent organic veg, and a decent range. I get really enthusiastic about being able to grow veg that are different from bought ones, hence purple and yellow beans and black tomatoes. Unfortunately the flower sections of our garden are a complete mess as I don't find them nearly as interesting.

[GardenFan]

My grandad was a very keen gardener and veg grower as was my own dad. He used to have a huge garden when I was born and grew mainly veg. I am not sure if it was bringing up me and sisters or several house moves after I was born but he has no interest in it now. Given his interest all those years ago I would have thought that now retired and with all his kids left home he would own a plot and get back into it, I guess I was wrong. So as with everyone my fondess for gardening runs in my family. However I owe getting started in gardening to my wife parents. Both keen gardeners it's them who encouarged me and helped me (from finding a greenhouse for me and helping putting it up to taking me along to their gardenshow visits) and now 3 years on here I am and determined to not follow in my dads footsteps.

[Slug]

I used to live next door to an elderly man who was very much into his gardening (his Dad had been head gardener at Kew gardens so he really enjoyed it). He used to give us cuttings, and then one day he gave me some lavatera seeds to try.... well, I was amazed at how easy this 'growing' lark could be - and I think that was the point I got hooked!

I was into flowers for ages, and got a little green house (4' x 6'), and Dad used to grow veg in the other next door neighbour's garden (she was an elderly lady and appreciated the garden being looked after - Dad appreciated a 'free' allotment!!). It's a shame he still doesn't do it now - but that's time constraints - and new neighbours for you!

I always loved picking the veg that Dad grew and I think that's what eventually got me into growing veg. I've only been into growing veg for the last 2 years as I was always a flower person. The idea of growing and eating your own produce is great though - and now I'm hooked!

[andrewo]

My Dad has an allotment when I was a kid - it must have sunk in - when we moved into our first house (which is the present one), we only had a front garden which was a car space, I put a fence up and put in some new top soil etc. It started with tomatoes and beans, I already had a herb bed, and it sort of spread from there but what amazes me is how much that time on my Dad's allotment sunk, how much I remembered about plants - it's either that or inherited memory!

[JimineyC]

Never interested in gardening as a kid, though my mum used to spend ages tending the garden, though purely ornamental.
I've only started this year as it's the first time years I've had a garden. I am renting but we're allowed to do what we want with the space. The gardening bug is a natural progression from trying to be green and ethical really - we had a compost bin and I started filling it with food waste and then I started to think of growing my own food and thus eliminate more rubbish. I can't say it's saving me any money, I keep finding new things to buy for the garden. You also learn just how many plants you need to provide a decent harvest, and i haven't really practiced successional crops this year. Next year, a whole new chunk of garden will be given over to vegetables and hopefully with more knowledge and confidence (and advice from this site) my harvest will be more impressive.
Plus my Mum loves the fact she finally has someone else to discuss gardens with.