If you are short of growing space or want to make the most of the space you have, there are a couple of growing practices that can help. These growing methods are commonly known as Intercropping and Catch Cropping. These ways of  growing are not new, but have been somewhat forgotten by many gardeners. With many new gardens being smaller and long waiting lists for allotment sites, Intercropping  and Catch Cropping, could be a way to maximise harvests in smaller spaces, even in tubs and containers. Intercropping. The Intercropping method is simply growing different vegetables together, one well know group planting with a long history is called 'The Three Sisters'.  The Native Americans grew maize or sweet corn in a block, when the corn was growing, climbing beans were then

As the evenings are getting longer, we’ve been lucky enough to spend a couple of evenings after work down on the plot. And what’s made it even better is that the sun has been shining! This means we can get on with all the jobs that have been put on hold from last month because of the freezing weather! So this week we planted out our ‘Douce Provence’ peas into our raised beds. They’d come on well at home in the cardboard toilet roll holders we planted them in and we just planted them out in these. Steve put some branches/twigs into the bed for the peas to climb up, as he thinks he saw it on Gardeners World or something! I’m not convinced, I think they just need caning, but we’ll see! We planted the peas alongside our other broad beans, so now we have all the legumes in

Well March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb, so I hope that means that the worst weather is over. The start of April has been brilliant, for me at least, and I am wondering, has spring really sprung? I do hope so. Last week on Gardeners World, Monty Don was saying to keep sowing indoors, but not to be in a hurry to sow outside. So like the scouts, I intend to 'be prepared'. I am sowing lots more seeds indoors and the hardier ones in my cold growhouse and greenhouse. I will keep sowing a succession of salads and peas over the next weeks in modules and carrots in containers. I am now sowing other veg including climbing and dwarf beans in pots so that I will be ready with well grown plants for planting out in May. I have lots of hardy and half hardy flower seedlings that ar

I'm itching to get going this year and get things planted out... But I still have to finish preparing the plot as with the strange conditions I've not had a chance to get stuck in and get all the digging done. And the ground is still too cold!! Last year was my first year on the plot that had been neglected for years so I double dug the whole thing to a depth of 18" or so and added loads of manure. This year I'm just turning over one spade depth and then going to rotavate it to fluff it up. I did a few yards a few weeks ago but was still too wet and a bit more last weekend and it was so much drier. So soon I will get stuck in and get it all done. Starting off over the weekend - weather permitting.    The Garlic is doing well but still taking time to really start shooting up. I have a

We were planning to spend some time down on the plot on Sunday but it didn’t happen because of the pouring rain! We like to think of ourselves as hardy gardeners but there really wasn’t anything we could have done gardening-wise! I really hope the weather improves soon; it has to, doesn’t it?! It’s been raining all morning here but it finally looks like it might it might stop and brighten up. It’s just a shame it’s a workday for me, otherwise, I’d be heading straight down to the allotment with the first promise of sunshine! Sunday wasn’t a complete write-off in the end though, as we just decided to spend the afternoon in our local village pub reading the Sunday papers by the fire with a couple of pints of cider ; ) At home, we’re busy chitting our potatoes in

The weather has been completely mad the last week or so. It started with warm sunny weather with spring like temperatures. Then came snow, then sun, then snow and so on... Saturday was damp but mild with the sun trying hard to get out. Woke this sunday morning to a very wet, partially flooded garden after heavy rain overnight. Now as I sit at the computer, it's snowing, heavily... and laying!! Never mind mad March hares, it's mad March weather!! Still there is lots of work to be done inside. I have seedlings to pot on... Tomato, lettuce, leek and flowers seedlings need to be moved into individual pots or modules, and if this weather continues, I will be starting lots more veg inside. I have started sweet peas in toilet tubes and they are growing well in the cold growhouse. As

Its very cold today, snow is coming and I can see from my window that the first light snowflakes are falling. Yet it is suprising what is growing in the frozen ground. While filling up the bird feeders, I had a quick walk round the garden. Snowdrops are starting to flower in ernest now, I have lots of the common snowdrop [ Galanthus nivalis ] and it's double form Flora Pleno. I also have some of the larger flowered snowdrops, Galanthus elwesii and the broad leaved Galanthus plicatus. I love my snowdrops but not as much as some. Such is the popularity of snowdrops that for some it borders on obsession. These folks are know as 'Galanthophiles' and spend much of their time searching for or breeding new varieties. With some of the rarer choice bulbs selling for more than £150 per bulb. I

This year I decided to grow all my onions from seed instead of from sets. I have grown enough to be self sufficient (or almost) for many years now, starting way back when I was growing them on my flat roof-top garden. See my blog here about that..  Then onto my garden shares and now finally on my Allotment..  I used to grow over 1000 sets each year but now cut down to about 400-500 as my two sons have moved out and don't need so many. I also normally do a packet of Japanese winter sets in September/October which I start using on 1st May each year as a filler crop to be used before the main crop is ready. So just before Christmas I planted out a whole bunch of onion seed, fired up the new electric propagator and within a week they were over an inch high!! Wow I was pleased.. then I

I dont know where January went to, but February is here already! This for me is the real start of the gardening year ' February Fun Time' is when I start to sow in earnest. I get so excited with the promise of the new growing season, that even the bad memories of 2012 are fading fast. I like to get a start on the year by sowing indoors and in modules. Broad bean Aquadulce Claudia have been sown in modules and new for me this year, the pink seeded 'Karmazan'. I have sown early peas Douce Provence in modules too and my early potatoes are chitting nicely. I have Kelsae onion and Mammoth leek seedlings coming on nicely, with lettuce and herbs seedling coming through. The house windowsills are fast filling up with chilli and early tomato plants, oh! I do love this time of year.  Check out

Continuing on from my blog on budget propagation and protection. I am moving on to budget pots and modules. As money is tight for many folks, dont cut back on seeds, good seed is always worth the money. The best way to save money in the garden is to recycle. So much of what is thought of as 'rubbish' can be put to good use in growing plants. Some of the things we can use will be bio-degradeable, others not so much and many can be used more than once. Yogurt  and Cream Pots. These are a classic seed and growing pot, as are any other small plastic tubs and containers. Large plastic tubs and pots can be use to grow mature plants. Water bottles, fruit juice cartons, tubs from ice cream, there are so many. All these plastic containers will need drainage holes, these can easily be mad