Springing up!

Well the long, hard winter appears to have finally receded into the past, so it's time to think of, um- next winter?! No- I am thinking more towards fall; in particular I am looking forward to my first harvest. Yes, after many subtle (and some not-so-subtle) hints from my other half (who happens to work for a national Housewares/DIY/Gardening store) I have taken the plunge (well, dipped a toe in at least) into the world of Grow Your Own!

I have sown seeds of mixed salad leaves, sweet peppers and Marigold flowers; the latter to not only replace the bulbs in the front garden's planters but also to keep away greenfly. (Get me with my permaculture skillz!) I have also invested in some hanging baskets for strawberry plants. A grow bag has been planted with a single courgette plant (previous experience on a veg farm has taught me to never overdo that particular crop!) and will be filled out with tomato plants once they are large enough to be transplanted.

I aspire to keep a photographic record of my first foray into GYO, partly for the blog but mostly to (with any luck) inspire me to carry it on or even expand on it in the future! Not only will it mean saving a bit of money as well as reducing food miles, eating something much closer to organic, etc, etc. I also plan on adding "canned" tomato and vegetable sauce to my repertoire (and possibly even my Christmas gift stash)!Of course, if it all results in a dismal failure I can look back on this while happily heading off to the shop...