What will you be growing this year?

[angieh]

Are you going to try anything new???

My raised beds were renewed last autumn so I'm going to put one over to strawberry growing - I got a good offer from Suttons, with plants and mulch mat and grow tunnel. Waiting for them to arrive.

The other bed, I've got carrot, beetroot and Florence fennel - I've grown ordinary fennel before, but wanted to try the nice bulb sort to use as a vegetable. I'm also trialing lemon grass this year for the first time.

Not sure whether to bother with tomatoes in the greenhouse this year as they were such a disappointment last year, so I'm thinking what to grow in the greenhouse. I'm wondering about melons - has anyone tried growing melons before???

I'd love to hear if you have any special plans for your garden this year.

[Kazz]

I don't do fruit and veg a neighbor of mine grows pumkins he is obsessed however I think it is just something to do going to the allotment etc since he retired.

The trailing lemon grass sounds nice.

[angieh]

I think that soft fruit is the perfect thing to grow if you have the room, just because it's an expensive thing to buy at the shop, maybe not so much strawberries, but raspberries certainly and our gooseberries do well out of one bush. I'd rather grow fruit than veg to be honest.

[TiggerMoon]

I've got some seeds growing in the kitchen windowsill. I mostly grow flowers but I am attempting some herbs this year. Parsley, oregano, sage, thyme and corriander. This will be my second year gowing strawberries, last year the plants were very small and I only got a couple of berries, but they were yummy! And I'm going to grow two types of tomatoes his year!
I have some pansys, marigolds, gazanias and two mystery plants! I found two unmarked seed packets and they are both growing, so I guess I will find out what they are soon enough! There might be more, but the cat is sitting on me at the moment, so I can't get up and check!

[angieh]

That sounds very good TM - I like growing herbs too, but don't grow many flowers from seed, I generally buy the trays of small plants as I don't need that many. I'd love to see pix of your displays when they are in bloom.

[truthisouthere]

I'm trying a kiwi, actinidia 'Jenny', it's the only variety that is self pollinating. You'll easily get some fruit off of it too. I did have one setting roots down and just beginning to grow nicely in the garden last year but the snails ate it alive!! (My fault for growing it right on top of a snail hotel, box hedging).
As for melons, not grown melons before, they need an outhouse/greenhouse/conservatory and most need good support, ventilation, and netting for each fruit and an careful eye kept out for spider mites and whitefly. It'd be exciting to have a go tho'! I did grow physalis (Sharon fruit) once, easy to grow and quite rewarding with all the fruit. I just bought a pack from the fruit and veg aisle in the supermarket, if you like the fruit, give the seeds a go.

[angieh]

That's a good idea Truth - I do like those little orange fruits, they are ideal as desert decorations too. I am sure I've read that the plant is toxic to cats ..... am I remembering right. However, in the greenhouse that may not be such an issue.

[truthisouthere]

Yes, I think you're right, physalis could well be a member of the nightshade family, like tomatoes. It could be as much of a risk as growing tomatoes I guess?

[angieh]

My two have never shown any interest in tomatoes, even though I don't shut them out of the greenhouse. They are only ever interested in the catnip!