How old are you and how long have you grown ya own?

[Dead Dogs]

51 going on 15, being growing on and off since I was a lad. Once I had fledged the nest it was mostly just toms and fruit. Had apple, pear and plum trees in one garden, added blackcurrents and raspberries.

Moved to Caithness autumn 2009 and brought the place I was renting Feb 2010. Fenced off an area and started turnning the grass into veg beds. Now have two large beds (approx 3m by 10), a polytunnel and a leanto greenhouse.

Grow your own is infectious as SWMBO has taken to planting herbs.
Next it's chickens or ducks as there is still to much grass.

[shobhna]

58 going on to some silly mental age !!
I had a small garden and I used to grow flowers and some veg, though not a lot of it over 15+ years ago, the then OH used to like to plant daffodils in soilderly rows and I hated it... then life happened and I moved on, found myself living in an apartment for a few years and was totally miserable because I missed the gardening so much. Since then I have moved again and now have a nice garden, with a small green house and am growing vegetables with varying degrees of success. I'm always chasing my tail and am not ever up to date with my garden but I have come to the conclusion that you can never quite catch up in the garden anyway. This year has been quite a challange because I am coping with all of everything to do with running my home, my Ma's home, keeping 2 gardens, working full time, looking after an ailing Ma as well and the rest...like I say, I'd be superwoman but my costume is too tight for me !! Consequently my garden or at least the veg. bits in my garden are on a go slow this year but I know that I can do this better and will get a grip on it all. It's only months since I found myself the owner of all I see (well, at least my garden !!) and I know theres many that are waiting for me to admit defeat. BAH !!!! not happening, and not only that, I will get there....where ever that may be.

[LittleShamrock]

I'm 24, and have been growing stuff for at least the last 10 years, even if it was only tomatoes and courgettes and lettuces etc with the help of my mum! The past 3 years I've actually attempted proper veggie growing on a slightly larger scale (i.e. filling my back garden with plants and getting quite addicted to buying seeds...)

[Florian]

35 (just!) and I think this is my third year. Increasing in ambition (if not actual results) every year!

This is an interesting thread

[gst]

Hi all, my first year of growing im 38 and loveing it.:-)

[madhatterlizzy]

58 - and proud of it - started my "garden" this year after having 3 stokes and taking early retirement - I am wired for sound with my ipod and out everyday enjoying the weather and learning new things daily

[bLUENOZE]

48 for me when I noticed I was turning into my Dad

[AliceB]

I'm 24, and started off growing when I was a little'un, helping my grandparents on their allotment. When the gave up their plot I started planting radishes etc in my Dad's garden, and took over my own plot in June. This is my first year going it alone, I suspect it will be a steep learning curve!

[Mazz]

First Post.. And I do believe I'm the youngest on this thread. Yippee?

I'm 16 years old, 17 in December, and like many others, it's really the first year for me. Last year my mum and I just grew a few tomatoes and runner beans in pots outside the back door of the house. But this year I decided to take it further, with a little help.

We have a huuuge garden, but dad's a little obsessed with his 'perfect lawn', so all we were allowed was a 4ft strip down the length of the garden (South-facing, of course ).

Been using this forum for a while now, to look up anything I needed, but was a bit worried about joining in, just because I'm so young. But just saw this thread and thought, heeey, what the heck; they seem nice people. So helloo! Wish me luck.

[rustylady]

First Post.. And I do believe I'm the youngest on this thread. Yippee?
Been using this forum for a while now, to look up anything I needed, but was a bit worried about joining in, just because I'm so young. But just saw this thread and thought, heeey, what the heck; they seem nice people. So helloo! Wish me luck.

Don't worry, our barks are worse than our bites. Welcome to the Vine. Join in with the rest of us nutters.

[Flummery]

We all started out young - we just have trouble believing it when we get up in the mornings! Welcome!

[Mazz]

Thanks guys. I'm a bit of a nutter myself so no worries there.

[rachvit]

26 and I've just started - Any great guides are massively appreciated!

[jackyspratty]

Im 45 My friend asked me to help on his quarter plot 3 years ago so its all his fault! He also put a polytunnel in our garden where we grow toms and cucs and anything else. Since then my friend has become a pro gardener so has little time for the lotty or poly, and has signed the plot over to Mr Jackyspratty, and has given us the poly frame which we recovered in pucker poly cover when the green mesh perished. Since then I hav my own quarter plot on an an old clay mine, and \i am desperately trying to rejuvinate the soil which my children happily make pots from (I kid you not!)
Ive also started a school garden group (3 groups a week) and we have worked with over 50 children since we got started in April, age 5-11.
Im 45, and love it! I will always value my friend who got me going in this as it has given me a new lease of life!

[MikeS]

35. I dug our first patch approx 4 weeks ago.

We moved into this house just before son number 2 arrived, it was susposed to be a stop gap, 12 years later we are still here, and for the majority of that time I've done nothing but moan and whinge about having to spend the weekend either cutting grass or hedges ( its a fairly large uneven garden surround by privot ).

One evening my wife "sow'ed" the idea of growing our own and half and hour later, I was lifting the first sods of our patch, to be honest it was the kick start needed and finally I accepted that we wouldn't be moving anytime soon, and one little patch has developed into a full on garden project, dividing an area for lawn, future patio, veg patch and cottage garden. In the last 4 weeks, the garden has seen more activity ( other than football and cricket games ) than it has in the last 12 years. Its not just something I do, its a family project, and have probably spent more time as a family unit recently actually doing something rather than just coming in from work and plonking myself down in front of the tv or computer.

We got a bit giddy at first and have put in carrots, beetroot, cabbage, lettuce, raddish, runner beans and swede, just because the back of seed packets stated that they could be planted in July. It was only after that, I started to research and learn about how to prepare ground, companion planting, compost etc, so we're complete novices ( although I do have a father in law who has a successful allotment locally to fall back upon for advice ) and although I'm not expecting too much success this year ( i.e we only have one runner bean showing from the 15 put in the ground, we do have lots of swede though ) , we're already discussing what to sow/plant and where next. I'm learning a lot from reading about others experiences on this forum, hopefully in time I'll be able to answer with some of my own.

All the best