Notes from the veg plot
As a keen but very amateur gardener, here are a few lessons I learnt when attempting to grow my own veg for the first time this year... Courgettes need a LOT of room, but they’re worth it. I was given two small courgette plants and planted them in a biggish pot with a handful of pea seedlings. The ever-increasing courgettes were steadily devouring the shoots. After a few adjustments the courgettes could fully stretch their legs. The result was the most wonderful crop.
If you’re short of money and time, potatoes are the gift that keeps on giving.
Look after your tomatoes and they’ll look after you. I squeezed three varieties of cherry tomatoes in a grow bag. They wilted when I wasn’t as regular with the watering as I should have been. Once I gave them the attention they needed, I was gifted with deliciously sweet tomatoes.
I learned the hard way that rabbits and birds feast on anything that isn’t covered or raised.
Carrots are easy. They don’t make a fuss. I sprinkled seeds, covered with soil and voilà! Within weeks we were pulling up fresh carrots to munch on.
The kids loved helping with, and eating, the veg. This point is by far the best for me. Getting the little ones involved. Nicola Richardson, East Sussex Simon says: Wonderful, Nicola, and it’s always good to hear advice from readers. So important to get the children involved, too.