Making a Garden Vegetable Plot
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The Turning Point on my Path to Building a Garden Vegetable Plot
This page supports The Food For Everyone Foundation
I started gardening fifty years ago when we moved into our house which had a very unkempt infertile back garden - it looked as though it had never been touched.
What was the turning point?
Over the years, the garden was fed with
- manure
- more manure and then
- sand
to break up the London clay which was as hard as iron, and very difficult to dig
(Roses - like the ones shown in the photograph - do quite well in clay, but not much else).
Bit by bit we worked on the garden and nursed it into some semblance of beauty, well-stocked with mature plants. Occasionally I planted a few odd vegetables, and I began to see how much the plants benefitted from decent treatment such as finding the right conditions for them, and feeding well.
.
The Birth of a Garden Vegetable Plot
Progressing Slowly - The makings of a beautiful garden
We knocked down our air-raid shelter (most London gardens had one at that time), and we hit upon the notion of using the rubble to build a rockery. Not very glamorous, but, facing forward, and hidden with plants, the rocks looked almost natural.
Only part of the garden border was really sunny, the rest being in partial shade, and, through lack of knowledge, I lost a lot of plants which desired full sun and failed to flourish in half-shade or full shade. Gradually I learnt to follow planting instructions instead of making it up as I went along, and the results, if not spectacular, were at least rewarding.
I tried in a desultory fashion to grow the occasional vegetable, without much success. Then, on my retirement, I went at it hammer and tongs, or shall we say shovel and prongs!
My vegetable patch was born.
P.S. I made this page about gardening tips in support of The Food For Everyone Foundation nonprofit organization. If you buy anything or enjoy an ad on this page, you'll be making a donation to charity for free.
You Need a Good Garden Fork and Spade to Dig Your Garden
These ones look great
Brook & Hunter Combo-DY-3D Premium 3-Piece Combo Kit With Stainless Steel Alloy Polished Shovel, Fork & Spade With Hand Crafted Red Oak Handles
Amazon Price: $119.99 (as of 06/01/2012)
These ones should cover every eventuality - a sharp pointed shovel to get into difficult places, a spade to dig a spit or row and a fork to turn over the soil. Lovely wooden handles.
Runner Beans Growing Outside my Garden
They have such dainty scarlet flowers
I planted some runner beans
in the garden, and also some
up a fence just beyond the
perimeter of my garden
(naughty-naughty!)
Runner Beans With Their Red Flowers Look Good Against a Wall or Fence
Here Runner Beans are Growing in a Mixed Flower Bed
Just look at those red flowers! (This photo was taken at night)
Runner Beans are what I call good value plants:
- they grow nearly as fast as the ones in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, germinating in a couple of days after planting;
- they don't take up a lot of space width-wise, so you can put them at the back of a border, climbing up canes
- they have a profusion of pretty red flowers which bloom in sequence from about June to October.
- The flowers are replaced by attractive pendant bean pods two or three weeks after the flowers have appeared. and they are quite happy growing in part-shade, so you can save your sunny patch for heat-seeking plants.
A Must Have Book About Vegetable Growing
You need to look things up if you don't know how to do things
How To Grow Organic Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs and Flowers: The complete guide to cultivating a productive and beautiful garden the natural way, with 800 step-by-step photographs
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 06/01/2012)
You won't go wrong if you have this great reference book
Calling all Green Thumbs
The Food for Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience. This page supports that mission.
Take this Quiz about Growing Tomatoes
Let's see if you know your onions (forgive the mixed metaphor!)
Does it make you see red when people don't use their grey matter, and then say they haven't got green fingers?
Is there a black spot in your knowledge or are you in the pink?
Image: Wikimedia Commons David Besa
Enough! Let's get on with the Tomato Quiz:
More Tomatoes
Get These Tomato Things From CafePress
Tomato Face Light T-Shirt
Our squeezable tomato products make as unique gifts for any squeezable friend.
"The World's Greatest Tomato Grower" White T-Shirt
The World's Greatest Tomato Grower
If you are "The World's Greatest Tomato Grower" or if you know someone who is "The World's Greatest Tomato Grower", then this gift is definitely for you.
The Food for Everyone Book
If you buy a copy here, you're making a donation, for free!
Food For Everyone
Amazon Price: $88.97 (as of 06/01/2012)
Used Price: $88.97
How Did You Get On In the Tomato Quiz?
Are you a quiz whizz?
Have you got any comments about the quiz and tomatoes?
Or, indeed, any other vegetables?
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Wednesday_Elf
Nov 4, 2010 @ 9:13 am | delete
- Failed the Tomato Quiz, but then I'm not much of a gardener. Love 'eating' fresh garden tomatoes, though!
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Follow Food for Everyone on Twitter
via @gardeningtip
P.S. Make your own page for The Food for Everyone Gardening Club!
You're invited to make a free page about your favorite gardening secrets and successes.
Every page you make supports the Food for Everyone Foundation nonprofit organization.
See what people are blogging about on Google
Vegetable related, of course
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Recent Photos of my Garden
Wait for them to rotate
Poll About Growing Your Own Vegetables
How do you match up to other pollsters? Take this Poll!
Some people take to gardening like a butterfly takes to buddleia. Are you one of them?
Have you tried growing vegetables?
About the Writer, Diana Grant
Garden Lover Extraordinaire
I have been gardening for 50 years, and was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. I love being out in the open air, touring my estate (which takes half a minute flat), poking, prodding, digging and planning. Not always succesful, but always enthusiastic.
You should go to my Website here;
Glorious Confusion
come and visit!
Go to my Blog here:
Diana's Blog at Glorious Confusion
I love to write and perform poetry.
I am a retired English solicitor. I no longer give professional advice, but still help people to write letters, fill in forms, proof-read things they have written, and help to improve and pinpoint the essence of what they want to say.
I would be happy to help you if you contact me - You can either go to my Bio at the top right hand side of this page. Or, if you prefer, if you want more information, you can go to my website, Glorious Confusion, where there is a page About Me or you can Contact Me on my website Glorious Confusion
My Gardening Lenses
Take a look
Have Your Say on My Guest Book
What do you think about growing vegetables?
Please say Hallo - it's always good to see who has visited.
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Kenken99
Mar 6, 2011 @ 6:47 am | delete
- Super informative! Awesome lens!
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Wednesday_Elf
Feb 7, 2011 @ 10:23 am | delete
- Returning to tell you that this lens has been 'featured on' and 'lensrolled to' my "SquidAngel Blessings by an Elf" lens. :-)
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Wednesday_Elf
Nov 4, 2010 @ 9:17 am | delete
- My hubby used to enjoy what he liked to call a small 'Victory Garden', with a few tomatoes and occasional other vegetables, but I'm not much of a gardener. :) This is such a well presented story about your vegetable gardening experiences and much deserving of a ~~SquidAngel Blessing~~
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Making a Vegetable Plot in the Garden
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by Gloriousconfusion
Hello everybody.
I love gardening and being in the open air. I was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society.
I retired from my work in London as a...
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Kindle Reading Device
A Great Christmas Present - or Treat Yourself
Kindle Keyboard 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display
Amazon Price: $189.00 (as of 06/01/2012)
Portable, Light, this year's must-have device - more than just a gimmick - imagine going on holiday and only needing to take one item from which you can download 3,000 books, rather than packing six books for holiday reading - brilliant!
You'll Need Gardening Tools for Your Vegetable Garden
These will do the trick
Fiskars 7067 3-Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set
Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 06/01/2012)
These would be good for weeding, and planting out
