no more growing veggies for me

[lynda66]

well this year again ... ive had so little veggies ... partly cos of only having the front garden to grow in, and weather, and maybe just being crap at growing them, but spuds, i may as well have just bought a big bag, would have been cheaper, peas were yummy, but really with how much the seeds cost compared to return i could go for birds eyes and they'd all be yum, have lots of pickled onions though, and will have beetroot soon, tomatoes ... one bowl from a polytunnel full, cos of blight, leeks all died ... again ... carrots and parsnips are doing good ... but brassicas ... total waste of time yet again ... except as chook food.
and all the courgettes /squash are nearly dead cos of the cold.... with absolutely no glut

so have figured out i can plant more fruit bushes .... and maybe just have one bed for onions and beetroot to pickle .... but really the cost of seeds etc has cost me more than if i'd bought organic veg down the supermarket .... so think i'm gonna wait to see if i ever get a lottie before bothering again

[Scottishnewbie]

oh Lynda, dont give up! Just tell yourself that this year is over and next year will be better!!!! it owuld be so sad if oyu gave up :]

[Two_Sheds]

Do you grow beans? Kidney beans? Really easy, cheap and prolific. But only worthwhile if you like eating them.

[lynda66]

well i've saved some broad beans with black flowers for my flower beds cos they are pretty, but out of 2 years beans growth, i've had a total of erm ... 2 plants lol first year i used 3 packets of seeds and they all just died off ... this year i used some from the seed parcel and got 2 plants, which basically had enough beans to plant a row at the back of my flower bed next year ...

[Two_Sheds]

maybe your plants are scared of going the way that your duck's gone ...

[lynda66]

lol probably xx i kill house plants too i even killed a 200 year old aspidistra ... that had come down the female line of the family .... luckily lots of people had cuttings, but it aint the same is it

[Incy]

Don't give up Lynda. It is possible to grow stuff here in Manchester even with the rubbish weather. The last 2 years I lost all my toms to blight but this year even though I eventually lost the outdoor ones, we have had a glut of ripe tomatoes first. I'm hopeless at house plants but improving all the time with veg. The thing to do is focus on a few things you like and stick to those first.
You could buy the veg but then it wouldn't taste nearly so good would it?

[bobleponge]

And think of all the fun you'd miss out on??
Plus what else would you do with your time? Tidy up?
Give it one more shot, oh spinster of that parish, you know you want to.

[lynda66]

yeah but then again ... if i dont grow the veggies ... i have more room for fruit ... and logically, fruit is more expensive .... but also needs less actual work ... and yeah bob ... some serious tidying up needs doing lol

[Alison]

You can grow quite a bit of stuff in your front garden, I did it last year before I got my plot and the weather was poor then also. I've found it to alright for growing this year, lots of water and not actually that cold, just not good for me as whenever I have any time seems to coincide with a rainstorm. Fresh peas are LOADS tastier than frozen ones so long as you pick them young and preferably eat them straight out the pod and beans are usually easy so long as you get them going OK, preferably in modules and out of reach of slugs and birds until they get to a reasonable size. Fruit it OK and I like to grow some but it doesn't feed you like veggies do - even a few decent beans plants can keep you in veg for a few weeks!

[ginger ninger]

That's sad lynda66, Don't give up, its been a bit crap here this year, my tomatoes are destined to become green tomato chutney AGAIN for the second year in a trot, my first lot of salad leaves were eaten by slugs, the second lot my cat dug up, broad beans i had to fight the slugs/snails/caterpillars for them, courgettes only one out of my 3 plants did much and then like your self there was no glut, and don't get me started on potato's...so you see we all have crap times.
Ive had success with squash, cucumbers, runner & french beans, carrots, chili's and all my herbs, I agree find some veg you like, can grow and stick with them...but please don't give up, I think you'll really miss it.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Lynda why not grow more fruit? By next summer in my (nearly south facing, very small) front garden - Honey berry x 2, Vital berry x2, Blueberries (lots), 1 Bilberry, 1 Cowberry, 1 Crowberry, a few cranberries plus 2 raised beds for carrots/onions/salady things, and finally a bit of space for Achocha. You've got a south facing front garden so the fruit will love it. Sometimes it's better to say b*gger it and try something new. I'd also try growing Achocha cause it's really easy, loves the damp, dreich weather - my freezer is full of Achocha. I got the seeds from Flummery but if you want some I've got tons, just PM me your details. Oh, and where are the photos of your babies?, you didn't post any on the pets thread

[lottie dolly]

don't give up lynda,if it's any consolation,last year i did well with with gherkins,this year absolute rubbish,but thats how things go,maybe you been trying to do to much on your own,you did after got the chickens sorted with a new home,giving up is to easy,try and cut back a bit,just for next year,and see how you feel then,just stick with the things you have had success with,hopefully it will give you a bit of a confidence booster,would it be a bit cheaper for you to buy some plants in just for next year,and not so many,please have another think,

[ginger ninger]

O, by the way, If you want some seeds I have LOTS spare, pm me with what you fancy and if I've got them, there yours.. That'll help keep the cost down for you.

[lynda66]

i'm going to FF the fruit doesnt need so much effort lol ... have some unusual fruits in the tunnel that i will hopefully manage to coddle through the winter .... and the strabberries are putting out loads of runners and have currants and berries ...

have still got loads of seeds GN thanks, just its all such hard work, still have part of a bed of spuds to dig up, but can seem to summon the energy, i just think i gonna grow pretty things next year, so when i look out in the morning and see the bees and butterflies it will make me smile, rather than cringe cos they gonna eat the brassicas ....or wonder if the bees will survive cos theres not enough flowers on anything ... maybe will feel different after i've had to dig all the flowers up to get at the left behind rogue spuds next year lol ... if i had a lottie, then it would be different cos i could grow enough so i wouldnt have to buy stuff, but i still have to buy stuff, cos i cant grow enough .... so just think its a bit pointless.