[Nicki85]

I posted a bit on here last year and now it is coming near to the beginning of the growing season thought I would do a post

I am in the process of getting my first allotment which is very exciting!  The warden has been in contact and they have had several plots given up over winter so I am just waiting for the magic phonecall to say it is ready!  I have my mum (who had an allotment previously) as helper/ advisor and she is quite excited as well so at least I will have some help.
Last year I transformed the garden into a veg patch and managed to grow some stuff with success.  I also learnt alot, like make sure any brassica is protected from cabbage root fly and butterflies!

So I have chosen my seeds and the list is rather long  BUT as I won't know what will do well I thought i'd grow a bit of everything  I've tried to go for varieties that can be sown multiple times in the year or can cope with a shorter summer.

So, what do you think of my choices???

Aubergine- Diamond (outside, patio + possibly one in greenhouse and/or conservatory)
French beans- Chereokee trail of tears, minidor and a green type
Beetroot- Sanguina and white
Brussels- Seven Hills
Cabbage- Precoce de Louviers Spring Cabbage, Piacenza Savoy Cabbage and a smaller ballhead
Asturian Tree Cabbage
Broadbeans- Aquadulce Longpod BroadBean
Carrots- Jaune Obtuse de Doubs, D'Eyesines Carrot and chantenay red cored
Chillis- Nigels Outdoors Chilli and early Jalepeno (will have to see if they are really outdoor ripening!)
Courgettes- Verde di Milano Dwarf Courgette and various others from last year!
squash- Summer Crookneck, Blue Banana, Waltham butternut 
Leek- Bleu de Solaise
Greens- Leaf beet, Tsoi Sim Japanese Shoot
Lettuce- Mortons Secret mixed lettuce (these were AMAZING last year), little gem, Cultivated Rocket
Melon- Collective Farm Woman , Minnesota Midget (again doubtful how they will do outside... )
Pak Choi- Santoh
Swede- Collet Vert (cause they were on special offer...)
Sweet Pepper- King of the North
Tomato- gardners delight, latah, galina, rose de berne
Herbs- Quillquina, Papalo, Green Perilla + the usual!
Pea- Golden sweet mange-tout
Bunching onion- Kyoto Market Green
Runner beans- Mixed

Thats the new seeds i've bought... also got some from last year like the cavello nero kale, nantes carrot etc. 

So, we will give most of the stuff (mainly brassicas, courgettes, squashes, beans etc) a go in the allotment and the rest will go around the garden.  Carrots will go in the raisedbeds I made last year in the garden as its good soil and we had no carrot root fly last year and got a good crop!

I am interested to try the peppers/ chillis/ aubergines/ melons as the varieties can apparently all be grown outside... we will see!  We have a heated greenhouse and a nice warm conservatory as back up

So yes, i'm excited  and can't wait for my seeds to come this weekend so I can start the leeks and broadbeans off 
Hope everyone is having as much fun as me with their planning!

[arugula]

Hi Nicki,

It is all very exciting during the planning stage isn't it? As good as seeing it all growing. Of course you'll keep us posted on the growing progress too.

[Nicki85]

I will try to   I always like reading about what everyone else is doing and how it is all going... It is also nice to share it with like minded people.  I think most of my friends think I am mad!  Although they do not complain when I bring them a jar of chutney or some spare veg 

[mumofstig]

Although they do not complain when I bring them a jar of chutney or some spare veg 

that's always the way 

[fatbelly]

Well Done on getting your plot, that's a big list of seeds for sowing, how big is your plot?
You will have both success and failures. Don't give up on the failures just modify the way you did things for the next time.

Although saying that no mater what i do I just can't grow peas. I grow fantastic onions which are the envy of our site but peas I just can't do.

[TerryB]

You must grow sweetcorn.

[kenny199]

Well Done on getting your plot, that's a big list of seeds for sowing, how big is your plot?
You will have both success and failures. Don't give up on the failures just modify the way you did things for the next time.

Although saying that no mater what i do I just can't grow peas. I grow fantastic onions which are the envy of our site but peas I just can't do.

The only thing that did not grow to plan last year were swedes,I had half a dozen tennis ball sized ones and nothing else.Found out it was not enough nutrients and water.Do swedes grow in swamps?

[mumofstig]

they used to grow lovely and big on my old plot which was like a swamp every winter from an overflowing spring

[Nicki85]

Thanks for all the comments 

fatbelly- Not sure how big the plot will be, probably standard 10rods. 

TerryB- Sweetcorn I thought needed lots of water?

kenny199- I managed to grow swedes last year!  But I planted them far to early and they eventually went to seed.  Saying that some are still standing in the ground and aren't to bad.  I watered to much and they got a bit of rot so will try again this year.  I think I will grow them ontop of a mound of soil so the water drains away.

[Paul Plots]

Wow - you are going to be busy!

I wish you the best of luck - take it easy, keep at it a bit at a time and enjoy your success.

I find a camera helps remind me of what I planted where, how well it grew and what to improve upon the following year. Photos added to a simple electronic diary are invaluable. You'll be able to look back next winter and remind your self of all your successes.

Enjoy!