Post by silverleaf on Jan 10, 2009 12:01:18 GMT -5
Thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Anna, I'm 29 and I live in Chesterfield, England, right next to the beautiful Peak District National Park.
Although I've grown a few veggies and herbs before, last year was the first time I'd done it properly. I built 2 raised beds (each 6m x 1.2m, and split into 3 sections) to help with my heavy clay soil, not wanting to go mad and overface myself the first year!
I divided each bed section into square feet and planted in blocks, which seemed to work okay. I grew broccoli, calabrese, red cabbage, romanesco, kale, peas, pole beans, dwarf beans, asparagus peas, black salsify, salsify, onions (red, brown and white), garlic, rainbow chard, leeks, potatoes, sunflowers, corn, bulb fennel, carrots, beetroot, spinach, quinoa, spring onions, pak choi, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, summer squash/courgettes, melons, pumpkins, buttercup squash, lettuce and salad mixes, chillies and cucumbers.
The weather conspired against me though. An unexpected late frost upset my newly-planted-out melons, squash and courgettes, and the melons and squash never really recovered. Then several hot and very dry weeks in the summer when I just couldn't water enough, followed by what seemed like months where it rained loads and we didn't seem to see the sun at all. Consequently the outdoor tomatoes got blight, peppers and aubergines didn't even flower (although the greenhouse ones were okay), and corn, squash, melons and pumpkins were very poor.
But the peas and beans and potatoes and carrots in particular were great. And I'm learning all the time.
I'm very excited about this year, can't wait for it to warm up enough for me to sow some seeds, especially the ones I saved from my own plants!
When I'm not gardening I can usually be found recording books onto CD for blind students, studying for a degree in psychology or making polymer clay jewellery to sell in my online shop silverleafshinystuff.etsy.com. I also sing in three choirs and enjoy birdwatching, roleplaying games, and computer games. And I rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured wild hedgehogs.
So yeah. That's me. Hello! *waves*
Although I've grown a few veggies and herbs before, last year was the first time I'd done it properly. I built 2 raised beds (each 6m x 1.2m, and split into 3 sections) to help with my heavy clay soil, not wanting to go mad and overface myself the first year!
I divided each bed section into square feet and planted in blocks, which seemed to work okay. I grew broccoli, calabrese, red cabbage, romanesco, kale, peas, pole beans, dwarf beans, asparagus peas, black salsify, salsify, onions (red, brown and white), garlic, rainbow chard, leeks, potatoes, sunflowers, corn, bulb fennel, carrots, beetroot, spinach, quinoa, spring onions, pak choi, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, summer squash/courgettes, melons, pumpkins, buttercup squash, lettuce and salad mixes, chillies and cucumbers.
The weather conspired against me though. An unexpected late frost upset my newly-planted-out melons, squash and courgettes, and the melons and squash never really recovered. Then several hot and very dry weeks in the summer when I just couldn't water enough, followed by what seemed like months where it rained loads and we didn't seem to see the sun at all. Consequently the outdoor tomatoes got blight, peppers and aubergines didn't even flower (although the greenhouse ones were okay), and corn, squash, melons and pumpkins were very poor.
But the peas and beans and potatoes and carrots in particular were great. And I'm learning all the time.
I'm very excited about this year, can't wait for it to warm up enough for me to sow some seeds, especially the ones I saved from my own plants!
When I'm not gardening I can usually be found recording books onto CD for blind students, studying for a degree in psychology or making polymer clay jewellery to sell in my online shop silverleafshinystuff.etsy.com. I also sing in three choirs and enjoy birdwatching, roleplaying games, and computer games. And I rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured wild hedgehogs.
So yeah. That's me. Hello! *waves*
But I do like the faux hedgehogs. Somewhere on this forum is the pic of the pig Blue made me last yr which is very similar.
