Growing fruit or veg

[Rachel23]

Do any of you lovely people grow your own vegetables or fruits and if so what do you grow and how easy is it? Ha

I grew sweet peas and tomatoes last year and this year have grown strawberries but have been and picked runner beans from my dads house and I love the idea of growing more next year but I haven't really got a clue where to start. I'd love to put some boxes in the garden specifically for growing & harvesting our own veggies but all the growing boxes I have seen are so expensive and id like to keep it as cheap as possible.

Any information for a wanna be green fingered childminder?!? :)

[lilac_dragon]

Car tyres work well, just fill the centre with soil/compost. Not very aesthetic though..

The bag that the compost comes in is OK too, just roll the top down a bit and add a few drainage holes. You only need it about 45 cms high for most easy crops, or use the whole bag, upright, if doing potatoes.
If you turn it inside out, the inside is plain black so nicer than the outside with all the advertising on it.

We grow French beans, mangetout, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, squash, courgettes, anything really.
Hope that helps.

[hectors house]

I bought cheap plastic toy boxes and drilled drainage holes in the bottom and then hubby clad sides with some left over decking - we grew runner beans & broad beans in them - courgettes are easy but didn't grow any this year as no one likes them.

[SammySplodger]

I use massive sized Tub Trugs with holes drilled in the bottom, they keep reasonably moist in warm weather and are (just about) movable by the handles when full of soil. I have 7 in rainbow colours. When not in use you can stack them inside each other, they clean up easily and can be used for garden rubbish / tip trips.

This year we grew: rainbow carrots, rainbow chard, lettuce mixed leaves (cut & come again), rocket, basil, chives, elephant garlic, shallots, asparagus beans, French beans in green yellow and purple, rainbow radishes, yellow round cucumbers (crystal apple) various types and colours of tomato, mini pumpkins and potatoes (blue ones!).

I also use Tub Trugs for sand and water and have two shallow large ones for each, I empty the water at the end if the day and stack it on top of the sand when not in use like a lid to keep cats etc out. You can use the shallow ones in the same way as a Tuff Spot.

See: http://www.rainbowtrugs.com

[lizduncan72]

I use massive sized Tub Trugs with holes drilled in the bottom, they keep reasonably moist in warm weather and are (just about) movable by the handles when full of soil. I have 7 in rainbow colours. When not in use you can stack them inside each other, they clean up easily and can be used for garden rubbish / tip trips.

This year we grew: rainbow carrots, rainbow chard, lettuce mixed leaves (cut & come again), rocket, basil, chives, elephant garlic, shallots, asparagus beans, French beans in green yellow and purple, rainbow radishes, yellow round cucumbers (crystal apple) various types and colours of tomato, mini pumpkins and potatoes (blue ones!).

I also use Tub Trugs for sand and water and have two shallow large ones for each, I empty the water at the end if the day and stack it on top of the sand when not in use like a lid to keep cats etc out. You can use the shallow ones in the same way as a Tuff Spot.

See: http://www.rainbowtrugs.com

Love that idea :) look so much nicer and more colourful that the boring black pots we had this year!! Will have to get some of these for next year

[Rachel23]

I use massive sized Tub Trugs with holes drilled in the bottom, they keep reasonably moist in warm weather and are (just about) movable by the handles when full of soil. I have 7 in rainbow colours. When not in use you can stack them inside each other, they clean up easily and can be used for garden rubbish / tip trips.

This year we grew: rainbow carrots, rainbow chard, lettuce mixed leaves (cut & come again), rocket, basil, chives, elephant garlic, shallots, asparagus beans, French beans in green yellow and purple, rainbow radishes, yellow round cucumbers (crystal apple) various types and colours of tomato, mini pumpkins and potatoes (blue ones!).

I also use Tub Trugs for sand and water and have two shallow large ones for each, I empty the water at the end if the day and stack it on top of the sand when not in use like a lid to keep cats etc out. You can use the shallow ones in the same way as a Tuff Spot.

See: http://www.rainbowtrugs.com

Ohhhh I love that idea!
Which size do you use? I have seen them
In my local garden centre think ill be getting some of these :)

[Rachel23]

just have to figure out when's best to plant everything!! I'm excited. thank you x

[charlottenash]

Tomatoes, pumpkins, sweetcorn, strawberries, spring onions, cucumbers(never successfully), sunflowers, daffodils, herb garden (easy), and grapes (took 3 years but they finally came out in 4th year). Carrots (unsuccessfully)

We are NOT keen gardeners, but it all grows so well with TLC everyday.

Good luck :)

[Rachel23]

Tomatoes, pumpkins, sweetcorn, strawberries, spring onions, cucumbers(never successfully), sunflowers, daffodils, herb garden (easy), and grapes (took 3 years but they finally came out in 4th year). Carrots (unsuccessfully)

We are NOT keen gardeners, but it all grows so well with TLC everyday.

Good luck :)

Thank you ill need all the luck I can get!! I'm not a keen gardener at all!! But I know the kids would love it x

[SammySplodger]

Ohhhh I love that idea!
Which size do you use? I have seen them
In my local garden centre think ill be getting some of these :)

The biggest - 75L ones, easier in warm weather (don't dry out so much). They look great! On the website they have slightly mis-coloured ones cheaper. I love tub trugs, I have the smaller ones indoors for toys too. So many uses!