I've grown quite accustomed to not buying vegetables over the last couple of months, and have been playing around with getting the most out of what I'm growing.

I put carrot tops, dead strawberry leaves, and pea plants that have gone over into a tub with a little water because I've read that they will make a hideous gunk that will act as a wonderfully nutritious summer snack for my veggies (liquid fertiliser in the more well know language).

I've also discovered that radishes aren't just for salads! I've been roasting and stir frying them with my other home grown veggies, and even chucking in the radish leaves! They're a great addition to stirfried veggies - which I hadn't ever considered before!

I had a nice surprise today whilst watering my small veggie garden, as the water eroded a some loose dry soil from the base of my radishes I got the glimpse of little baby radishes peeking out. It's the first time I've grown the these little red gems and, despite hearing that they 'grow so quick' from countless individuals and in everything that I read, I never actually expected them to grow that quick!

So far they've survived the slugs and snails but I'm going to have to tuck them back into with little beds with some little soil blankets tomorrow properly before the rain comes... of they'll disappear!

Been in the garden all evening, giving it some TLC. With all the hot weather and minimal quantities of rain, my water butts have run dry and I've had to resort to the hose... :o(

Quite proud of my efforts this evening though re:house and garden. Painted the architrave for the new built in cupboard, gave all the birds a good soaking with the post-move rediscovered spray gun, and I managed to clear out another bed, and successfully plant out some grown from seed broccoli, cauli's and brussel sprouts. I've only ever grown purple sprouting broccoli and cauli once before and that feeble attempt went more than a little awry, so I'm hoping I'll have more luck this time. I have a feeling it's a little late to plant them out, but hopefully (I'm refusing to look it up out of sheer pig ignorance - I've sown so shall endeavour to grow) we'll get some produce from them...

I read that planting onions between them helps them grow as a companion plant so I've put white onions in rows between them. I miscalculated though and have a whole batch of red onions of medium size (due to my tardy planting regime) which I haven't got room in the bed now. I guess I'm going to have to lift a few potatoes early and dig over the bed for the remainder of veggies which I've grown but not factored into ground space... I've also got some baby leeks which need to be planted out, so I think that I'll be doing that sometimes later this week... I love this gardening lark, I love getting the produce. I hate the slugs and snails which rob me of all my hard work, but that's another story...

Me and my boyfriend have just bought a house, the garden swung it for us. A victorian semi with a garage and a nice big garden.

It has three large cicular flower beds which used to be fish ponds, and a shed which I immediately claimed as MY place for potting and growing! So, now I have a garden and a shed and I'm trying to grow food to make some attempt at living the 'good life'.

Nothing food wise goes to waste in our house, we'll eat all we can but if it's slightly slug chewed or over ripe the parrots and the chinchilla gets a nice share; offcuts, skins and extra that the birds don't eat go to the dogs (brilliant as they're on the BARF diet - Bear is particularly partial to strawberries and mange tout), and in the unlikely event that there's anything left after that chain of consumption then the worms get a look in...


To feed this little lot I've planted quite a range of veggies, and am now practically watching them grow until the moment I can pick them. So far this year we've had mange tout, carrots, strawberries and of course salad leaves, and I'm waiting for my little courgettes to swell to a pickable size, and my toms to blush in the warm summer sun.

Now I just need to work out what to start sowing and when to try and get autumn and winter veggies for my table, my dogs, and my birds. Google will be my friend... :o)