Top of the Crops

[pjh75]

From the list, definitely french beans... my cherokee trail of tears have produced consistently for the past three years, I always have plenty to freeze for when fresh veg isn't easily available. They taste great straight from the plant and I never used to be a fan of eating uncooked veg, unless it was salad.

My mini-white cucumbers, mange tout and courgettes are also fabulously consistent... it's been difficult to just pick one.

[Henwoman]

I've chosen onions because I grow three sorts and shallots and use them virtually everyday, but there are so many others I wouldn't want to be without too: tomatoes, beetroot, spinach, pumpkin, butternut squash, potatoes, carrots - too many to list and I wouldn't want to be without my rhubarb either, which I think is a vegetable isn't it? Oh and I eat parsley pretty much everyday too.

[Scottishnewbie]

oh er missus, this is a really hard one! as i was reading through the other posts, i kept thinking "oh yes, that one" then the next post "oh yes i like that one"...finalyl decided we couldnt live without raspberries. mainly cos we use them for all sorts of things - ice cream, smoothies, frozen throughout the year with breakfast cereals, and then there's raspberry vodka and raspberry vinegar and of course raspberry jams.....all of which we give to family and friends as part of their christmas hampers. nearly time to start the next lot!

[Florence Fennel]

Although I love growing all the vegetables listed, by far my favourite is cauliflower. How such a tiny seed can grow into a beautiful white flower often bigger than a football is still a mystery to me and to my grandchildren who are amazed by the cycle of growth and amazed at the difference in the taste to shop bought!

[winstonwobble]

got to be tomatoes for me with potatoes coming in a close second beat shop bought anyday

[Marge]

It is so difficult to choose which is my favourite veg crop so it has to be these four: potatoes (you've got to have potatoes!), tomatoes (nothing beats a fresh red tomato, or a green one turned into chutney), beetroots (roasted just delicious or young ones grated raw with a little mayo), and leeks (which I never liked until I grew them).

[arpoet]

Fav veg to grow has to be runner and french beans.. We always grow masses of them for freezing and eating fresh and what a godsend they have been this past few weeks. Pretty easy to grow, very easy pick and to process and freeze and tasty as any veg. Save yer own sedds and the cost of growing hardly anything at all. I bet we got 2 hundred weight last year.

Yes.. Beans

[bramble]

Tomatoes would be my first choice. Why, because there is such a variety, such different flavours, and you can cook them in so many different ways and freeze or sun dry them if you happen to have a glut.

[Pumpkin Becki]

It's pumpkins and squashes for me too (so I couldn't vote )

I love everything about them. I love sowing the huuuge seeds, I can't wait for the seed leaves to errupt out of the compost (and can be found giving the pots a good furtling every hour on the hour until I see signs of germination ). I adore the way the seedlings develop by the minute, and when I plant them out, the vines grow so fast that I have to stop them making a bid for freedom into the next plot. I love watching the fruit form and grow. Love cutting them ready for the Autumn Show at the Garden Society, storing them overwinter, and finally making them into my infamous 'Squished Soup' for work.

There! Nearly a whole years' entertainment from one plant - you can't beat that

[bubblewrap]

Potatoes for me.
From seeing the first shoots poking through the soil to the harvest wondering what I'm going to get.
Had 5 seasons growing now & not had a bad year yet.
Last year I had 4 wheelbarrows full.& should have enough to last till this years are ready.
Plus I have enough for this years seed.

[Holly]

Hello all,

Thanks for all the fantastic posts so far - it's really interesting to see what gets priority on the patch. I have to say I'm surprised French Beans are so high on the list.

Well, it's the last day to vote so if you're not happy with the order of affairs on this poll... then make your vote count!

[SueA]

I was torn between potato, tomato & courgettes as they're all worth growing & you can get long harvesting seasons from all of them but in the end I chose potatoes, specifically early ones as there's nothing nicer than a freshly lifted new potato boiled & served with butter! Mmm... drooling now!

[peanut]

It has to be PSB!

I just have to grow my Purple Sprouting Broccoli. i don't care which variety...they're all great!
It's something tasty to look forward to at this gloomy time of year.

[Holly]

Ok, thank-you very much everyone... the poll has now been closed!

Look out for it (and your comments) in the March issue of Grow Your Own, on sale February 4.

Until the next one, happy January!

Holly

[Aberdeenplotter]

Just seeing the variety of vegetables mentioned including those not mentioned in the poll is enough to make one's mouth water. I think the green beans were a surprise to me as well but then they are so delicious. I was surprised carrots weren't among the front runners. We had a competition for kids at our local show a couple of summers ago and asked them to produce a painting or a drawing of their favourite vegetable. Carrots won hands down but that was maybe because they are easy to draw.

Anyway, I still love onions.