"The Good Life" revisited!!!

Well no not really, but the thing is this I have a small patio, well two small ones the actual space I have to work with is about 20' by 15'

Just been into Wilko's and they have a bewildering array of seeds, bulbs, tubas pots containers propagators and miniture greenhouses

What I want to do is grow my own fruit and veg. I would like some help from all you gardeners and allotment owners. What do I need equipment wise. I have no room for a full size greenhouse. The area is fully paved so everything will have to be in tubs etc

I want to grow the usual, salad stuff, tomato, a small herb area, maybe some carrots, cabbage and potatoes. I also would like to have a go at fruit trees...I don't know if you can buy dwarf ones and can you plant them in pots?

what seeds should I start growing now.

I know it seems like 20 questions but it's something I have always wanted to have a go at...see this is Steph's influence this is

Elaine Hun,

I'm not 'green fingered' myself but I so wish I could do some of this gardening thing . . . my problem is that Sasha would dig everything up and eat it before I had the chance too . . . . !!!

Good on you though babe

x x x x

Thanks Shane Mine would do that too, but the area I have planned for my project is offlimits to them. It's a seperate patio sort of in the middle of the bungalow...I know it sounds weird but it's just the way they have designed it lol

Will post up some piccies in the summer.....if it works

xxxx

You need to work out what you eat first of all....

There is no point in (for example) growing cauliflower if you never eat it.

Most salad stuff - lettuce, spring onions etc can be grown just in tubs or pots on the patio.

Herbs can be done in pots too - pick the ones you use the most (e.g. I use loads of rosemary, oregano and thyme, coriander and basil as well)

Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers will need some sort of greenhouse/conservatory, as mostly they need more heat.

In terms of carrots and cabbage - pots aren't ideal for them. However, you could make a raised bed (on top of the patio) and plant into that. You'll need to make it deep enough for carrots etc to grow down though.

Thanks Shelley. I would like to have a go at growing tomatoes so was thinking about one of those small lean to type greenhouses or a small shelved effort with a plastic cover.

Do you know if I can grow fruit, blackberries etc do they do dwarf versions?

xx

Fruit trees can be grown in pots, I think they're called patio trees. They are grafted on a dwarf stock. Somewhere in this section I have pics of my mini greenhouse, which needs weighting as advised by Dogsey members. You can grown seeds in it, or remove the shelves and grown something in tubs

For the trees google j parker bulbs, I am sure they sell them - and even if you don't buy from them it gives you the idea of what's available

Ken Muir sell minarette fruit trees that are suitable for pots...

You can do raspberries etc in large pots, but they are a slightly different variety I think - most of the larger sellers would have them - Dobies of Devon, Marshalls etc

You can grow toms etc in the little greenhouses, but they take up a lot of room, and you need a greenhouse with removeable shelves.

Thanks Pat, am getting quite excited now

I have just been looking at toms, and you can get a variety that will grow in a hanging basket and drape down, now that sound wonderful, but wouldn't they need the warmth of a greenhouse, unless of course we get a wonderful summer

BTW Hun . . .what would you describe yourself as . . . . a 'Barbara' or a 'Margo' . . . ? . . x x x x