GROWING MY OWN

Daisy & Poppy

My back yard is at the most 12ft x 12ft and I dream if having a smallholding selling chilli's and all thing's garlic and chili!
Chili

This year I have been fortunate enough to spend time using every square inch to grow my flowers and veg from seed.

During the cold months the dining room became the greenhouse, and was hoping all the seeds survived so I could also sell the unwanted plants down at the boot fair, but as it was my first real year at trying I only had a few spare plants to giveaway.

English Lavender

The two easiest plants I found to take cutting from were the fuchsia and the English Lavender, so from one of each plants I grew 10 of each, gave away half and still have plenty in my back yard! So at the end of this year will take cuttings again and this time tons more so I can sell the baby plants next spring. I am also going to attempt to make lavender bath bombs for Christmas prezzies, I got the idea from a book I got for my Birthday last week 'Grow your own Drugs' by James Wong, which contains all good stuff like chili heat rub for cold feet.

Egg Plant

One plant I enjoy growing from seed is the chili plant and have around 10 dotted around and will be attempting sweet chili sauce soon, I will try out a couple of recipes and then pass it on.

I have over 20 tomato plants yielding 3 types of tomato, a baby yellow Tom, baby sweet million and a large red which I can't remember the name of, but give it another month and I will not be buying tomato's for the rest of the year! I have a feeling I will be giving them away.

Tomoto Plants

From my one Sunflower last year I took the seeds and planted and managed to grow around 15, 5 the slugs got first! I have keep 3 and the others gave to my niece, nephew and friends children.

This year I will put some in recipes and then replant more for next year to sell.

Pea & Beans

As the space is small I have only one cucumber plant and one Egg Plant, again the cucumber should keep 2 of us going through the summer months. I know you must think there cant be any more space left but up on fence I am growing peas and french beans, and I am so pleased the peas are already showing and the other half (although shy of cooking normally) wants to make a pea salad with the first yield ?! So if anybody can come up with a bacon and pea salad let me know!

I also brought a mini portable greenhouse thingy and now sits against the wall with three shelves, one holding some of the tomato and chili plants another beetroot in their own pots, which I will pickle the excess and three type of lettuce/watercress, which I am hoping can last most of the summer although I still have tons of seed and another empty shelf so will plant a few more in a couple of weeks.

BEETROOT

Almost forgot although not pretty to look at in a pot I am growing sweetcorn so hope to pick in time for the last of BBQ weather.