The Cottage Smallholder

Do it by stealth, Eileen.....a foot width at a time    You know men aren't very observant 

Oh that's a pity, Eileen.  Well, you'll just have to convince him of the financial advantages of growing your own.  We're gradually digging up more of our back lawn and making more raised veg beds (that's the royal 'we', I just do the planning!). 

Did a bit of tidying up at Ita's on Monday, which included trying to keep some of her plants in check, she has a lovely big yellow daisy flowered plant, don't know it's name, but it spreads like mad. So I've dug up some of the runners and I'll pot them up today and put them in franks garden in the spring. They are lovely, but generally I don't do yellow in my garden, so can't have them here. If anyone wants a root, let me know and I'll post you one. I think it's some sort of rudbeckia. 

We're doing that today Jan - sorting through seeds and making a list of what to grow.  This year we're just going to stick to what we know grows best and we use a lot of.....not bothering with things like aubergines and peppers that grow - eventually - but never seem to ripen by the end of the growing season, or brassicas that just get eaten to shreds because husband either doesn't cover them properly, or the netting/fleece gets disturbed by animals, allowing the bugs in.  And this year I'm going to be on his back and make sure he does successional sowings, and doesn't grow so many bloody courgettes/cherry toms/whatever that we are totally inundated with them.