To Veg Or Not To Veg That Is The Big Question.

I for one am not bothering with veg any more last years appalling yield put paid to that. I used to have an allotment, but they are hard work, and a lot depends on your age and health also waiting lists can be years.
I shall grow 95% flowers in the future with just a small amount of salad stuff e.g unusual toms in the green house and different varieties of lettuce.
I used Chicken Pellets on all the garden for the first time last year and I have to say I've noticed a big improvement in size, rate of growth and health for most of the garden
At least it will mean Mr B can keep his lawn. :)

It's a toughie! Would an allotment be any different from growing your veggies at home?
I like the idea of planting veg in amongst the flowers too!

I would grow flowers .. make a rockery :o)

I agree with Waddy...Salad crops & lots of late flowers, Dahlias, Rudbeckias, Calendula, Chryanths, Penstemons....lovely....:>)

Hi Waddy~ We had an allotment years ago when I worked for Hillier but had to give it up when I left the company. Yes it was hard work but rewarding. The last couple of years my veg crop has been poor. I have the 3 small raised beds which have been very productive for a few years but like I say the last 2 not so good. With the price of fresh veg going up so much I find myself wondering which course to take Thanks for your advice. I need to stop and take some time to think about it. Mr B loves to see a lawn with neatly mown stripes or diamonds and he has been known to do the odd spiral.

Lulu33~ I have to admit I am very much drawn to the ides of mixing things up a bit I think climbing beans would complement cosmos nicely!

TT~ Ah...alas I am not a rockery lover I think if your going to have a rockery then you need a big garden I have a dear friend out in America now she has a stunning rockery. Take a look at her blog
http://krensgarden-karen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/watering-on.html

Snoopdog ~ The bare area next to the greenhouse is 3 raised beds 4ft by 8ft The photo was taken just before any planting was done last year. I also have 2 dwarf apple trees in pots the area behind the greenhouse very little grows because of the trees in out neighbours garden the big laurel has been cut right down we had a new fence last summer. I will add a photo so you can see how it looks in the summer.

Motinot~ No matter what I will always have a small salad crop and flowers could not live without them.

Last year was very iffy for us and it did seem like a waste of time, space and effort as regards the veg, I did do well with salad crops though, I have already decided that my beans this year will be up wigwams amongst my flowers, being optimistic and hoping for buzzy things for pollination, lol, I felt I wanted a bit more space last year Sue so I got hubby to build me a raised bed between the g`house and my bottom pond, it meant losing a bit of lawn but it has been very successful, I guess because the actual ground had been laid to grass for so long plus I dug in well rotted homemade compost, its very easy to care for as well as I have access to three sides without having to walk all over the bed.....

Hi Lincalass~ I do enjoy growing veg and being able to just wander out and pick just enough for dinner and not have supermarket veg going off because it has a short use by date I spoke to the council this afternoon just to ask about the list for allotments .... Given up that idea think I will be well and truly over the hill by the time my name got any where near the top of the list. I would love to put a plum tree in and have raspberry and blackcurrant bushes just need to think of how and where to incorporate them into the garden. I could do with maybe just another 2 raised beds. Or 10 feet of lawn ;0)

Good luck with gaining that much of hubby`s lawn, I am the gardener here as my hubby hates it so it is always up to me what goes where, it works well for us though as I am never happier than when working in my favourite place, I`ve just seen your other pic, your beds look good, have you checked on the patio fruit selections, I had a mate, sadly lost her a while back but I remember her fruit selection all grown in big pots as her garden wasn`t really big enough for a proper tree ( her words not mine, lol)

If you don't plant any vegetables then you definitely won't get a crop this year. Most of us had a poor year in 2012 but will not let it deter us this year. If nothing else, look at how the price of stuff has gone up in the shops because of poor harvests.

I would at least do early potatoes and runner beans - the latter were a dead loss last year but they are usually great, and much nicer than shop ones. I like a few leeks to overwinter as well. A blackcurrant bush would go in one of your borders.

how big is you green house?

It is 8ftx10ft Bik. Good guess though Bilbonaggins.

thanks

I got mine on ebay for £28 !

Did you see last weeks copy of Garden News in there giveaway is a green house. yo can enter on line before 26th Feb www.greatcompitiotons.com Have a go!

Well today is Chinese New Year the year of the snake it is said to be a very lucky year maybe it’s a sign!