Grow Your Own

I have a tub of runner bean plants growing on my patio, they have been very easy to grow and I am looking forward to the harvest.  When you grow vegetables, you eat with the seasons enjoying what each one has to offer.  I believe that vegetables should be eaten when in season and that too many imports from foreign parts fill our supermarket shelves.  Vegetables you have grown yourself always taste the nicest and it is much easier to get your children and grand children eating healthy food when they know it's been home grown.

 Points to consider:

• Consider the timing of harvest - early summer for broad beans, runner beans, potatoes, peas and primo cabbage.  Late summer crops like peppers, aubergines, courgettes, marrow, and tomatoes.
• Seed suppliers produce useful catalogues and websites to help you choose varieties.  Seeds can be stored,you don't have to use all the packet at once, for next years crop.
• Timing is very important when growing vegetables - planting seeds too late can lead to disappointing results.
• Swapping seeds or plants with friends and neighbours is a good way to experiment with varieties.
• The most important thing is to have fun growing your own food. It's all about trial and error

Go green in your garden.

• Store rainwater in a water butt for use in dry weather.
• Organic and permeable materials are better for paving than concrete, which causes large amounts of Carbon to be emitted into the atmosphere during its manufacture and transportation.
• Think green when buying garden tools and working in the garden.  Sharpen your shears, abandon the powered hedge trimmer and invest in a hand powered mower!