how was it for you?

[rainbowbrite]

i'm a bit nosey and was wondering what got you lot into gardening and more specifically into growing veg.

i'll start;

brought my own house in may, little old lady who owned the house before us got taken to an old folks home but her old man had been the gardener. he had passed away a while previous to her leaving the house, she hadn't cleared out his shed and it still had bottles of whisky hidden amongst the tools and seeds. in the garden the rubarb was taking over. i started clearing and looking after the garden out of respect for him but i think he knows, i'm well and truly hooked now.

[OverWyreGrower]

We did a similar thing! We wanted to move a bit further into the country, and although our house needed (and still needs) substantial work on it, I fell in love with the garden!

1/3 of an acre, 20ft greenhouse full of tomatoes, small orchard etc. The couple had lived there all their lives, and were moving cos of ill health. Her husband, who was about 85, mowed the whole 1/3 with a push mower (no wonder he had ill-health!)

We've taken part of our garden up as a veg patch, and chicken/rabbit area, and I wouldn't change it for the world!

[coomber]

I've always loved gardening - I used to help my dad, but he was in to flowers. I'd always fancied a veggi patch so when we decided to move house the main "want" was a garden big enough to plant fruit trees and have a veggi patch
As soon as I saw the garden in our house I knew we had to have it! OH had no say in it!!
Before we even moved in I had 4 apple trees on order! The first year we fenced off a good sized area (to keep our 2 newfies out). Our new neighbour gave me her old greenhouse because she was getting a bigger one
I just cleared small areas and grew a few things along with loads of weeds!
This year I am well and truly hooked! I have put in 12 raised beds(more to come) And put bark down in between to keep the weeds down, I have also planted a cherry tree, apricot tree, plum tree, pear tree, greengage, grapevine, gooseberrys, raspberrys, blackberries, jostaberrys, red - white - black currants, loganberries, rhubarb, strawberries(can you tell I like fruit!) I am also planning to take over the rest of the garden and put in loads more unusual fruit bushes/shrubs such as saskatoon and japanese wineberry.
HHHmmmmm think we might need a bigger garden

[Kristen]

"bottles of whisky hidden amongst the tools and seeds."

And that's when you realised that gardening was for you too, eh?

My parents had a large place, they had spent all their time, energy and money getting the house round. In my early teens I got interested in gardening, my parents knew next-to-nothing, and I bought myself a 10' x 8' greenhouse with my pocket money when I was about 14 (IIRC). When I was 18 I designed, laid out and planted a large shrubbery and then buzzed off aboard for two years - the first summer was the driest on record, and my parents were carrying their bath water out in pails to try to keep everything alive!

I was always miffed that I could not afford the larger 12' x 10' greenhouse model, and when we moved to our current house a couple of years ago one came up on eBay - same model even, and I reckon about 35 years old like my original! - which I bought. Subsequently bought a 30' x 10' on eBay too.

My house has a large garden, and I started a veg patch last year, planted a shrubbery last autumn, am in the process of building a pond, and have ideas for herbaceous and topiary gardens to follow, and also some woodland. Plus we need to build an extension and we don't have any sensible outbuildings at the moment. I'll let you know in a couple of months when it is all done!

It does rather remind me of the saying "I'm organised he sighed, and died"!

[SlugLobber]

Frankly, I have no idea. I think I'm adopted. My family:

-are mostly unfit
-smoke
-do not have horses in any shape or form
-eat crap
-don't garden
-would probably confuse organic with orgasmic!
-can't cook
-never studied (my Dad tried arguing that dinosaurs became extinct due to arthritis in their teeth...)

When I was about 8, I remember planting a potato in a weedy pot outside our terraced house oop North. It produced quite a crop! Honestly no idea where I get it from! If I didn't have the same genetic errors as me old ma, I really would be asking questions, ha ha!

[Kristen]

"would probably confuse organic with orgasmic!"

[ailsasyl]

Mainly because of my daughter and my aunt.

My aunt started eg garden a few years back and when we went to visit stacey loved the idea of going out and picking fresh sring onions and carrot thinnings have no chance with her around!!!
We did have a go a few years back when i lifted in a flat but not in a great area so local lads used to use garden as a cut through and damaged plants did get tatties, onions and carrots then the following year i fell and was in plaster so couldn't do the work!! Bought this house, ex-council about three and half years ago concentrated on gutting the inside (ongoing project) Spent last summer in plaster and on crutches after n op on ankle now its stronger and pain free this year I got stuck in and created 2 long raised beds want another but am waiting for brother to find time to help me sort the broken fence.
So far so good both of us walk the garden at least once a day to check how this are growing can't wait till its ready to harvest

[areia]

"would probably confuse organic with orgasmic!"

say it oftern do ya kristen

i sort got dragged up with plants mainly veggies though, give me a house plant and i seem to kill it, spider plant is the only thing i can grow indoors. my nan had the front garden for her roses etc, and grandad had the back, all the grandkids me and 3 others were hauled in during the summer hols shelling peas, broad beans, destringing runners picking strawberries, gooseberries (though us kids didnt like em ) nan made the best red and black current crumble, and grandad made the best homemade custard we all used to thump our spoons on the table demanding grandad spesh custard,

i love growing veg now still

[Kristen]

"say it oftern do ya kristen"

I'm not going to be able to keep a straight face whenever anyone says "I'm going organic"

[squashysu]

Frankly, I have no idea. I think I'm adopted. My family:

-are mostly unfit
-smoke
-do not have horses in any shape or form
-eat crap
-don't garden
-would probably confuse organic with orgasmic!
-can't cook
-never studied (my Dad tried arguing that dinosaurs became extinct due to arthritis in their teeth...)

I must be your sister lol!!!!

i am unfit (working on that)
smoke (need to get the hypnosis cd's out again,
eat crap (well the garden hasnt grown yet),
cant cook (well can but hate it)
never studied (thats a lie - at 40 i am about to embark on a degree!!)
horses - had them but not anymore, but want more!

Dont garden (I didnt until Jan this year).

I moved house in Oct 2007, after living in a house that had decking & shingle for a back garden, got this new garden and had a vision! dug up the old rockery and january and started! the end!!

now i am totally hooked, the garden looks gorgeous with lots of established flowers in the borders, clean tidy and no holes from dogs digging it and a lawn that has grass instead of mud - i been busy!!

Now called barbara or felicity by my friends!!

[Mikey]

Simple answer my Dad, when I was at home we never had a back garden, it was always an allotment. Never bothered with it, until I went to college, and started earning some reward (veg parcels) for digging over other peoples allotments during easter break. Then since I bought my first house I have always had a veg plot of my own, and can't image ever not having one. Your parents are a massive influence on you, even if you don't pay any attention to them at the time.

[lynda66]

i was looking for flower seeds, and the veggie seeds were half price