Thank You

[Aunty Social]

This website is so brill. Yesterday depressed at the pretty nearly utter failure of my veg garden, until I read some posts on here that really encouraged me. Thank you to everyone here for being entirely wonderful

Oh yes, and the 'Best Failure' category in the Virtual 2017 Show made me cry with laughter. Thank you for that, too.

[Lumpy]

Nice message AS.

Years ago I started with the attitude 'it can't be that hard can it'
This rapidly turned to 'how on earth do they do it'
Closely followed by 'oh well at least most of it is edible'
I am now happy basking in the realm of 'its edible and no one will notice if I cut the sluggy bits off'

Ho Hum

[Snoop Puss]

I've progressed to the "I can always try again next year" stage!

[veggiechicken]

...........and I'm at the - Well, it keeps me out of mischief and, its not as if my life depends on being able to grow something half decent.

Aunty, there's still time to enter your Best Failure in the Show. Who knows, you may win

EDIT - you have entered - and very proud you should be too

[Lumpy]

p.s if it helps - 3 carrots and 1 ping pong sized beetroot this year.

[Small pumpkin]

...........and I'm at the - Well, it keeps me out of mischief

No it doesn't

[Kirk]

No worries, you are only as far as "nearly" utter failure, meaning something has apparently made it.

2 days ago I took all the supposid spring onions out, after a good 6 months nothing was thicker then a blade of grass and all had decided to lie flat. Half had just given up. I guess they had recently composted in to the soil. One row of spring onion has sort of vanished. Got less and less and I cannot find anything there now. Just soil.

Today I decided to resize the veg bed so I could easily mark out 12 rows. That meant lifting a dozen carrots. 4 have formed a "carrot", maybe 12mm long and 4mm diameter, the rest are a pointed white root. As were the 2 parsnips that had get lifted. The carrots went in last March and were decribed as 10 to 12 weeks before harvest.

1 small carrot from the supermarket is heavier then all the ones I lifted today. I am not holding out great expectations for the remainder. And 1 small carrot would cost about 7p whereas the seed cost 75p.

Not a pepper on a pepper plant, and one of them has decided to give up and perish on me.

I have in a way at least some tomato's, just every one is green and shows no sign of the slightest red blush or transformation, even the yellow ones are a solid green. I am not a fan of green tomatos.

I have one squash, and a small 5 inch cucumber.

Lets not go into the brocolli, or celery.

I have to seriously question if it is worth it all.

[Baldy]

^^^ yes because it will be better next year

- you will learn what grows well where and what does not. etc.
and you will still be somewhat disappointed...
but it will be better next year.

perhaps just different fails and successes....

and it will be better next year

[veggiechicken]

I have to seriously question if it is worth it all.

Of course its worth it. If you didn't grow things you'd have no reason to be a member of the Vine and you'd miss out on all the scintillating conversations, wit and shoulders to cry on, that we offer - not to mention Cake.

[Baldy]

So for me this year - toms blighted out - runner beans despoiled by god knows what - cabbages slugged out of town apart from one very special cabbage that I'd named "VC -
on the other hand - standard chillies like jalapeños have been real good - super hots have been rubbish but they need more care than I can perhaps give.. First early spuds were great.
I don't know what I'm dong with 'em - other than right - but I've had loads of grapes. Yay.
Beetroot fantastic. Carrots and parsnps - first time Ive ever manged to grow em.
anyhow - Kirk - it will be better next year (maybe )

[veggiechicken]

You tease, Baldy! I have to ask why you've named a cabbage after me. I expect its because its young, fresh and unblemished, like me

[Baldy]

It was one of only two that made it to the end - the other I callled cadders (it was a bit easier going...)

[Guest]

No failures here, just lots of things to do better next year Glad to hear you feel better for knowing you are not a lone

[lottie dolly]

Thats the difference of growing our own,the joy off what shape and size things turn out,oh plus the taste yum yum,thats when they do,must say the last few years the seasons have altered,thats the joy about this vine,we all get to know how the growing season is going,we not stand alone,glad you found out,it seems one year some plants will do extra well,just like the weeds,this year it's bind weed

[JanieB]

All mine has been container grown this year. We (my daughter and I) were a little ambitious about landscaping the garden ourselves. I have a glut of tomatoes and I'm a bit surprised that they all seem to be cherry sized despite growing 5 different varieties including moneymaker, a beefsteak type and a pomadora type. Only one cucumber plant survived and looks healthy but no cucumbers. Also courgettes, no courgettes. I planted 10 sweet peas, 1 turned out to be a real pea (plug plant on offer). The strawberries did really well and I was eating a bowl full every day for about 3 weeks, yum! All my peppers have done really well even though I have no peppers either sweet or hot. I'll try overwintering them as they seem healthy and see what they do next year (I've managed peppers to live and produce for 3 years in the past).

Heyho. I just like growing things. I should be able to chop down the extraneous viburnum trunks now the birds have finished nesting. That's a job in itself as the trunks are like iron. Then I can put my blowaway up.