How did you get into gardening?

[Silverfox]

Mud pies is what started it for me. When I was a little girl I was always in the back garden making them. Mum could never keep me clean, much to my elder sisters discussed - a little bit of dirt and she would cry for ages (still does at the age of 30 with 3 kids of her own).
I always remember my Nan having a lovely colourful garden with lots of beautiful flowers in and we used to get a clip round the ear when we used to hit Granddads golf balls to hard and they would fly into the flowers rather than the clothes line hole. Don't worry it wasn't just the grand kids who got a clip, Granddad used to get them to if he did the same.
When I moved into my own home about 3 years ago I wanted a paradise just like that, but my dreams were shattered when I finally had to admit last year that I was no good at growing flowers.
I feel in love with OH 18 months ago and loved the stories he used to tell me about spending his summer holidays in Ireland and helping pulling the potatoes ect. I wanted to recreate that for him and dug over a small area in the garden to grow his potatoes. I got into growing everything but and only a few weeks ago got round to putting the potatoes in a bin to grow.
A few weeks back I decided I wanted to do it on a bigger scale and got a 10 pole allotment. I know it is far to big for just the 2 of us but we will be like robin hood and give to the poor (well the family members who keep saying "great I wont ever have to buy veg again"
With no kids of my own at the moment I hope that my sisters kids will take an interest in it with me………. After all there is nothing like child slave labour to get them weeds up, all they ask for in repayment is a bag of crisps and a can of coke cause their Mum don't let them have them at home.
P.s If you are gonna use the kids give them the coke before you get them to do the work that way they work twice as hard cause there all hyperactive.

[JennieAtkinson]

Apparently when I was three, I used to accompany my Grandpa when he deadheaded his roses and I was found a couple of days later after one session in my parents garden, deadheading the buds of Dad's prize rose! Undeterred my Nana kept a small patch for me in her garden and I grew bits and pieces as a small child.

My mother was a great flower grower and had a wonderful cottage garden, growing everything from seed. Before she died she said her greatest wish was for myself and my brother to have a greenhouse each. We both got one and have both never looked back. Unfortunately I lost mine in a gale after the second year, but now have a new one. Amazingly we both must have learnt alot over the years without realising it, as some things seem quite natural. But for both of us the greatest joy is growing and eating our own vegetables and yet neither our parents or grandparents grew veg (other than what they had to in the 1950s). Its obviously in the blood from somewhere.

[beefy]

Ok as we are into confessions here goes.I am a farmers son and we always grew lots of veg at home as well as potatoes.We butchered an animal every year for meat for our own use and as it was a dairy farm we had our own milk.For the last eleven years I have been working off the farm ,as a long distance lorry driver for eight years , two years as a digger driver and since January of this year as a groundsman/gardener in a secondary school.Its a big school with about 40 acres all in although the two all weather hockey pitches and three football pitches are looked after by a team of men who cut the grass,mark the pitches and brush the all weather pitches.The rest is my department .
I have a heated glasshouse (actually more of a conservatory- double glazed and three foot high walls round it) When I asked what it was for they said what ever you want! I didnt ask twice ,but as I was busy outside I didn't get back to it until mid june. Armed with a packet of Ailsa Craig and one of Gardeners Delight from B+Q planted the whole lot .Ten days later 250 tomato plants (only one pot didn't produce a plant). If you came close enough you got a tomato plant wether you wanted it or not.Came home and cleaned out my greenhouse which had not been used since we bought the house 9 years ago.Fresh compost and some farmyard manure later seven of the most pampered tomato plants took up residence . Best of all yesterday I eat my very first home grown tomato (Gardners Delight)and what a taste .Im now firmly hooked and am going to try a lot more next year.

[nick the grief]

What a lot more than 250 tomatoes

[beefy]

Thinking about chillies and peppers and have been given a grape vine as well.Probably plant a few less tomatoes just 200 next year. Dont want to leave myself short!

[multiveg]

I got into gardening when my dad brought home a massives bag of seeds.
I told my dad i wanted to grow then so he got out a old farmhouse sink and tought me how to look after them as he was a hortculture teacher (just retired now!!) I was six then and now im nine and i've been growing ever since!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good for you!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Well done soobeth! Do you tell your friends at school about your gardening? Dexterdog

[heebiejeebie]

My dad is a keen gardener. I grew up with the idea that fresh veg comes from the garden and it always tasted better than the supermarket stuff.

I like the variety of veg & fruit that can be grown outdoors (since I've moved 400 miles south from the family home - still can't believe I've got peppers growing happily) and I like planning what I'll be harvesting each month. However, I'm new to "allotmenteering" as the OH calls it so I'm sure my plans will alter regularly! I'd like to be self-sufficient (for veg anyway!) most of the year.