moonie2011

For the first time ever we have a vege patch, today we had our first two strawberries, sorry ate them before taking a photo. Also growing is potatoes, rhubarb, sweetcorn, mint, rosemary, cabbage, cauliflower & brocolli, tomatos (these are all still growing) Can't wait

bourbon-biscuit

Oooo brassicas after xmas - risky, ime. Up here they tend to bolt/ attract things that decimate them so i do them to be all gone before xmas.

Bo-Jangles

I went for a wummage awound in the undergrowth this arvo and found the grand total of five waspberries and four wunner beans.

We have had no luck with either wunner beans or wubarb at all in this garden. The latest wubarb I planted two or more years back, in what used to be our compost heap cos I thought it might do well there but it hasn't grown any and is barely clinging onto life with three piddly little short stems and chewed leaves. Similar story with a passion fruit vine that I planted last year, as of today it's a goner and now in the compost heap.

Hokey-pokey

Sheep pellets did the trick for my ailing rhubarb.

Bo-Jangles

We've done sack and sacks of sheep pellets in this garden but I suppose a few more wouldn't go amiss. Our continued investment in more stuff to improve the soil makes for some very expensive fruit and veggies at the end of the day.

bourbon-biscuit

Yes, that's the trouble isn't it - if gardening isn't something you really love then the initial outlay of stuff is hard to justify. If your soil is as crap as you describe I wouldn't bother trying to work it, just roll with the raised beds. Down here we can get decent topsoil delivered for not much money at all, but as you say if you add up the costs of raised beds it doesn't make for cheap produce in the first couple of years. Have you tried growing tomatoes & strawberries in hanging baskets? They do very well in them and I always notice hanging baskets at garage sales and the like.

bourbon-biscuit

Are you in Auckland, BJ?

Bo-Jangles

I do like gardening in general and am full of enthusiasm at the start of each new season until it gets to about now and it starts to feel like it was all a futile and pointless exercise, when I see the fruits of my carefully nurtured plants produce four mingy little things and they're in season and available quite cheaply in the shops.

We try all sorts and had strawberries in a proper planter thing one year which provided about five strawberries (not all on the same day) and a good feed for the birds. I couldn't keep up with the watering, the heat baked the pot and the plants all died. I have loads of Tommies presently in the raised bed they've pretty much taken over so that's all there is, but we've not had any ripen yet.

I have been tempted to get a truckload of topsoil but don't think it's viable really as we're on heavily 'terraced' hilly landscape; largely shored up with retaining walls.

Yes, I am.

bourbon-biscuit

Sounds like you're in a weird microclimate (toms not ripening yet?!?!) with the worst soil ever. Perhaps you should focus on a prolific herb garden - you can't go wrong with herbs imo as the outlay of money and effort is so minimal for a massive chirp up for every meal. Plus, they always look nice.

I know what you mean about stuff ripening just as they're giving it away in shops

jmh

I've got a small square of land which only sees the summer sun from 1pm so it's not easy to grow stuff. My sugar snaps and cucumber failed this year and my strawberries are not up to much:



Pretty pleased with my tomatoes though (my uncle recommended getting sheeps poo from the garden centre and it's worked a treat):



Grapes are good but I think need a bit more sun:



Peaches every year but I can't take much credit for these: