Everything's rosy in the garden...grow your own

Ok, ok so to some people it may be that I'm just jumping on the bandwagon of celebrity chefs and their desire for us all to grow our own - in reality, its probably because I have a bit of a thing for Hugh Fearnley Whittingstal, but one thing's for certain, he's absolutely right, and growing your own thing is the new black!

I've always had a dabble in veg growing, but have stayed close to the odd carrot (literally, in 2006 I only managed to grow one carrot, bugs bunny must've scoffed the rest), and plenty of tomatoes and potatoes. I lay claim to a damson tree in next door's garden that leans over our fence. Other than that, I'm seriously short of becoming Barbara to Tom in 'The Good Life'.

However, this year is different, and I decided to buy some raised bed kits (these are wonderful, cost approx £38 for 2 x 3ft by 3ft plastic raised bed frames from Dobies Garden Centre online). Piut plastic sheeting on the base and fill with compost - our own from the compy bin. So what's growing in the garden at the moment:-

an absolute abundance of salad leaves including rocket, wild rocket, lollo rossa and catalogne - of the cut and grow variety, so we eat 2-3 plants one week, and 2-3 the next week, by which time the first plants have re-grown.
Lots of peas and beans, both heritage variety from garden organic. www.gardenorganic.org.uk - join them and the heritage seed library and you can swap seeds (EU regs state they cannot be sold for lots of bizarre reasons) and bring back some heritage veg varieties.
Potatoes - aaran and charlotte, both early and late crop
Safe, chives, bay, mint and oregano
Tomatoes - several varieties including baby sun
Courgettes
Onions and for later in the year, sprouts

whilst I'm no Percy Thrower, I was amazed at how much I could cram into these 2 little plots, and how well they've thrived. Its not an expensive hobby, but is very rewarding and doesn't take up too much time once the seedlings have been planted out.

I'm looking forward to fresh peas and beans and veg this year, and the continuation of the salad plot.

Cath