I've made a decision.......

[cptncrackoff]

My situation this year is the first season with an allotment.
It's a strange one, because I'm kinda thinking that all the things I havnt done well with in my small raised bed garden( cabbage, lettuce, beetroot) I have in my head put down to cramming things in, having much more room at the lottie, I feel like I'm starting again, and will try as much as I can.... except radish, none of us like radish!

[vikkib]

I'm not very keen on Runners either and only grow a few, but instead I've been growing Climbing French Beans (which I prefer) for the last few years. I like the variety Cosse Violette as the pods are purple (easy to see but sadly turn green once cooked!). The flavour is good too. Why not give them a go?

I picked up a pack of a purple pod climbing bean in the 50p a pack scramble but I've just checked and they are 'Blauhilde', not 'Cosse Violette'... I always find a seed recommendation the perfect excuse for a trip the GC!

[Aberdeenplotter]

who needs an excuse?

[vikkib]

who needs an excuse?

Touché

[Two_Sheds]

I decided not to bother with runner beans again... we really just don't like them enough!

I don't like green (fresh) beans much: I grow loads of kidney (French) beans, and the white runners (White Lady, Emergo, Moonlight) as butterbeans. Plus true butterbeans (Spagna is good).

I luvs me beans

[northepaul]

I only grow them from sets, simply because we use so many (usually one a day or more) but I am going to devote more space to leeks/garlic next year, as they are more expensive and nicer - just wish leeks didnt take so long to grow!

[Tripmeup]

Couldn't not grow onions.. love them and grow from both seed and sets.
Still eating last seasons ones - both red and white...
Have never tried aubergine and don't think I'll bother based on comments...

[BUFFS]

we have talked,we will now grow the "hunter" french bean instead of runners, as we found it yields the same size crop,but has a better flavour and there are no strings to worry about,and we will be trying barlotti beans for the first time,they look great,we will see how they like the scottish weather,slightly off theme,the new green/hot house is proving a bonus,the fig and peach are looking really good,it looks like we have some tiny figs forming in this sheltered area,when the dwarf apricot and vine are installed it will be a sight,planning for 20 pepper/chilli plants to grow in there next year,i will be painting inner walls with white paint to maximise light levels available as sunshine can be like hens teeth up here,i WILL get to master putting photos on here but so far no success,so its time to try again,anyone with the vista system is welcome to point me in the right direction......

[Sylvan]

Beans. They just don't work for us. Far too windy...

Our onions and potatoes did really well this year. Everything else was rubbish (even the courgettes! ) Based on that we should really give up on almost everything

[BUFFS]

well sylvan,you should be able to grow french beans, cobra,when the winds were blowing strongly this year,with the roof tiles rippling like a cross between a piano and a mexican wave,the beans seemed to shrug it off,we dont do any wimp veg,if they succumb,they are dug up and donated to the compost bin,then its time to try something else,new vegs/varieties,have seen no seeds for haggis though............

[Sylvan]

I'm sure they can shrug off occasional strong wind Buffs but they'd probably react to the almost constant strong westerly that accelerates over the top and zooms down the valley just as badly as all our other french beans did. Poor shivering little babes weren't at all happy

We grow mostly horizontal plants - whether they're meant to be or not

[Sylvan]

(Are you telling us haggis are actually vegetative? I always used to tell the kids - and Australian cousins - that those sad little lumps of fur dotted all over the roads were haggis remains... )

[Rhona]

I couldn't give up on onions as one of my favourite jobs of the year is trimming and plaiting them to store over the winter. And I do love to see them hanging up in a row. Last year was so poor though - the autumn ones did fine but the spring-planted ones were almost a waste of time. We've just bought our first shop onions this week, a couple of months earlier than usual.

I'm always trying to increase the amount of storable veg we grow, so potatoes, onions and pumpkins are important crops for us.

I am hopeless with carrots. Every year I swear I'm not going to bother. Every year my blind optimism wins, and a few rows go in. Other people's thinnings are more impressive than anything I grow. Rubbish, I am.

[Jelliebabe]

I didnt grow any onions this year... suffered with some sort of rot last year. I grew a few shallots though. I have put some over wintering ones this year and some more shallots too. So we'll see how we get on. I like to have one of the beds done up with stuff over winter, makes me feel like at least one section is doing something and under control!

I grew borlottis for the first time this year - amazing and easy too! YUM

[Prince of Durham]

Carrots. Never again, mind I've been saying that every year for the last ten. But this time I mean it. What with carrot fly and the faff that is weeding the damn things. You can buy a huge sack of horse carrots at a local mart for about 3 quid.