Please tell me it's worth it

[mrshopeful]

Slipped over this morning and went down a few steps on my backside, no real damage just going be a big bruise but I had half day off this afternoon and decided to do some more digging in the garden in the hope that I might actually finish getting the beds for the veg ready.

4 1/2 hours of digging heavy clay soil full of stones and forget about my behind hurting the rest of me is hurting more! (and I'm only about a 1/4 done )

So as I've never grown anything before please tell me it'll all be worth it in the end, mind you I did get a nice feeling of satisfaction looking at the bit that I have finished

[bubblewrap]

It's worth it when you are harvesting runner beans when they are £2 50 a pound on your local market.

[Fluorescent green]

I would say that the biggest benefit to growing your own, is the fresh veg, you know where it came from, and you get exercise too.

I dont expect to save any money from growing veg for at least 5 years.

FG

[sharonr]

It's worth it when you are harvesting runner beans when they are £2 50 a pound on your local market.

Your right there Bubblewrap.
It`s even better when you are still using them for christmas dinner.

[bubblewrap]

Your right there Bubblewrap.
It`s even better when you are still using them for christmas dinner.

CHRISTMAS? I still have about 20lbs in my freezer.

[-pat m]

You’ve answered you own question…. You have fallen over on you tush and you’re on here telling us about it…and we’re interested about it - you have arrived! Crack on and get the rest done and tell us all about it – then we can hear about the best veg you have ever tasted and decide that you will only buy that tasteless rubbish the supermarket sells when your supply runs out. Good luck - plenty of arnica for your bum and happy gardening!

Regards
Pat

[RedThorn]

lol and to think others pay for gym memberships! not only are you saving money on veg(for better tasting ones and the knowledge of what's gone into them) you get exercise and fresh(ok freshish) air and a sense of achievement too!

[selfraising]

Keep going, you'll get there and the result is definitely worth waiting for!!

[zazen999]

What's worth it is when you are still using last year's oven dried tomatoes in pasta sauces and noodle dishes, yummy yum yum.

[mrshopeful]

Thanks everyone, all great reasons to keep going

20lb of beans! the effect they have on my digestion I'll loose all my friends if I grew (and ate) that much

I must be getting the gardening bug as even though I'm knackered I'm working out when I can get back out there and getting quite annoyed that so much has been planned for this weekend (and I can't get out of any of them) I won't be able to do any digging, even thinking of taking a little time off work!

Hubby says I'm nuts but he's looking forward to eating whatever I grow, cheeky bugger. I just hope I do actually manage to grow something, I'm guessing in my first year it'll be around 50% failure but I'll keep learning.

[dogsbody]

First year will probably be aroaring success - mine was, then I got too confident (but that's another story).

On Sunday I had home grown roast pots and leeks for part of my dinner - delicious and cheap!

Best piece of advice - don't try to do it all in one go. start low and slow. grow the easy stuff and if you don't get all the beds dug at first then do what I did and go to Poundstretcher (or whatever it is called now) and buy a load of cheap 55cm pots - use these to grow carrots, pots, beans etc. on top of the ground you haven't dug yet.

Works for me and I still use the pots 5 years later.

[mrshopeful]

Best piece of advice - don't try to do it all in one go. start low and slow. grow the easy stuff and if you don't get all the beds dug at first then do what I did and go to Poundstretcher (or whatever it is called now) and buy a load of cheap 55cm pots - use these to grow carrots, pots, beans etc. on top of the ground you haven't dug yet.

Works for me and I still use the pots 5 years later.

Thanks that's a great idea, I bought some onion sets from pound shop and have been wondering where I'm going to plant them all, got room for some and given away half but there's loads left with no spaces to put them. I'll pop down to Poundstretcher this week and have a look at what they've got.

[dogsbody]

For onions go for the shallower window box type troughs rather than large pots. That's how I did my first sets, they don't need a deep root run.

[Alice]

It's worth it MrsHopeful. But don't try to do it all at once. Do what is manageable for your first year to give you a good sense of achievement. Home grown veg really do taste different. And try a few things in containers if you don't have all your ground ready. Good luck.

[Stacey Steve]

Just remeber that Nature (God bless her) has many things to throw in your way but like offering up sacrifice to the gods, she is allowed her share of what you grow and then she may smile on you and reward you with more than you can deal with.