The 8ft x 8ft vegetable garden !

By way of an experiment I took on an 8ft x 8ft bed in our Community Garden. I started with a few Jerusalem Artichokes (to send out in the Veg. Bags we do) – then filled the rest of the bed with anything I had spare plants of, these included: ornamental gourds and ridge cucumbers grown through the Jerusalems, celeriac, little gem lettuce grown between the celeriac, 3 tomato plants, broad beans, courgettes and dwarf French beans.
I plan a different mixture next season and hope to grow at least a dozen different vegetables in my experimental garden.

 

Looks like you did really well. What crops did you get that you were actually able to use?

I've not long ago created 3, 4ft x 4ft beds and a 2ft x 4ft bed I plan on putting nothing but onions in one, I already have some onion sets in and I plan on filling the other half with onions grown from seed next year. I have one reserved for sweet corn and the 3rd for any thing else that takes my fancy. All 3 of these are a complete experiment for me too as I have never grown anything other than strawberries in a hanging basket and potatoes in a bag. the smaller bed is for pumpkins next year. I cant wait to see how everything turns out.

 

The Jerusalems and the celeriac are still in the bed. The celeriac (6 plants) are only the size of a cricket ball, but will go into a soup. I didn’t keep records on the other vegetables, but today I cut 1.5kg of tomatoes, still green, to ripen indoors and I reckon I have had at least the same again in ripe ones. The two courgette plants are still cropping and I have had at least a 10 fruits from each. The six dwarf French beans have each been yielding a few beans every couple of days since mid July, but are now finished. I had 8 little gem lettuce, but the last two bolted before I could eat them. Ridge cucumber produced five nice 8”-9” fruits and there is still one small one on the plant and the gourds are pictured below – so I’m really pleased with my little mini-garden.

 

Nice on AA

 

I thought Mr Nice was Drugs rather than Drink?

TAXI! ......

 

Just dug up the first of the Jerusalems from the 8ft x 8ft garden – one plant yielded 4lbs – well pleased !
a-a

 

Just as a matter of interest ... does anybody know the name of the TV show (probably in the 70's) which promoted the idea of wee plots. I think Keith Fordyce was in it.

I remember an elderly neighbour of ours wanted me to dig a small patch in her back garden, so she could grow vegetables. The day I was supposed to dig it for her, it was pouring down. I simply put on my cagoule and waterproof trousers and carried on. For that, she thought I was brilliant.I got about £15 or so,which at the time was great.