Lesley Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Very 'Good Life' Emma! - we've always managed to grow enough to be self-sufficient for 6-9 months of the year - apart from bananas and oranges and avocados, although I'm working on those Our beds are finished now - we just need to put the paths in and re-erect the fruit cage around the soft fruit. We ended up with 8 beds more than we were planning - 30 tons of topsoil was perhaps a bit ambitious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Just a tad ambitious! Emma it is very Good Life like! It's unbelievably fantastic. You just need Geraldine the goat for milk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Wow, all of your raised beds look really good. I don't have any though I have a vegetable patch instead, with runner beans and sweet peas in at the minute. I will have to post some pictures of it once it has some more of my veggies in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Lesley im sure you can find some more veggies to plant Thanks Martin for my photos in the past - you are a star! I took these with my digicam so i can upload them ok i will still send you the ones i take with my mobile though! Must say im not sure about the goat Maybe a small sheep called Fleece Lightening instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 How about Pinky and Perky then! Can't beat real bacon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Some photos of our new veggie plots The area we planned...... 8 veggie plots in foreground and fruit cage area to the rear with 5 beds in. The 8 beds we didn't plan - the nearest to camera is Lauren and Jake's shared bed - the bean sticks are in the middle. The others have potatoes in them - apart from the end one with plants from the other house, heeled in. Just beyond the cement mixer and wheelbarrow are holes waiting for more fruit trees, to extend the small orchard to the left. View from the other end - showing fruit and the asparagus bed. You can just see the asparagus shoots, we'll be picking from these plants in 3 years time Inside the mini greenhouse..... New fruit trees to be fan trained against the fence.... Herbs - and odd plants waiting for a home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 WOW Lesley they look fab - so much work must have gone in to it all - worth it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 That is one wonderful veggie garden and just a little karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I agree - it looks fantastic - well done you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 That looks brilliant Lesley Worth having a squad of half-naked men round for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Wow Lesley,I am really impressed & very jealous too You guys must have been so busy to get all that together....makes my 3 beds look a bit pathetic Keep us updated with photos,so we can see how it all comes along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 - there was only one working on this area - my son! Amazingly, he's still speaking to me after shifting all 30 tons of soil I will have two little helpers this afternoon - we'll be sowing more seeds. Lauren and Jake have sown/planted carrots, climbing beans and onion sets in their little bits of garden and also have 'things in pots' in the greenhouse - sunflowers, tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumbers and courgettes. Jake also has parsnips and Lauren has sown leeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 and just a little karen x Just a little???? Lesley, that looks amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 and just a little karen x Just a little???? Lesley, that looks amazing! I know, but I thought it may be a little childish to fill the page with little green faces karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Oh go on, it would be good therapy! (I'm off to stamp around a bit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Lesley it all looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Well, I'm on the last 7 minutes of my lunch hour (and counting as I type!). I popped into the Self Sufficient forum to see if I could find a few words on raised beds and I've been glued since 1pm! Everybody has done so well with their raised beds and veggie patches. I'm in awe. I'm also now convinced I'll not be able to do it myself. It seems very daunting and a lot to learn on a limited amount of time. We had planned on doing this last year, but didn't really realise that being new parents would take up all of our time and knock us sideways. We've only just begun to pick ourselves up. I'm now trying to s"Ooops, word censored!"e money together to build my raised beds and I'm hoping to get going as soon as I can. What a brilliant source of information this forum is. Every tiny bit of info from you is worth something and will help me so much when the time comes when I can start off my own bit of self sufficiency. Just wanted to say that this is a forum appreciation moment, and thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 Phew! Well, I now have some raised beds for vegetables! I can't believe how much this forum has influenced me over this! This time last year the garden was a complete jungle (albeit a very pretty one!), but now we have chickens AND veggies. Bit like you Ginette - haven't been able to do much in the garden for the past 4 years, being either pregnant or having little baby taking up time and attention. So good to be able to garden properly again, and with HELP But I'd never grown veggies before, so this is a first. Anyway, sorry for the ramble - what I wanted to know was does anyone have the link to a website where there are diagrams and or planting suggestions for the square foot gardens? I've seen them in the past but now I need them can't find them anywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 How are everyone's going? Thought I'd show off a bit here: I am so proud of myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Wow, they look fantastic Annie! So you should be proud of them. Mine are full of seeds and I keep going out every day to see if anything is growing yet. It's almost as bad as waiting for my first eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 They look great Annie. Beautiful Lupins too - I adore Lupins & really must plant some in my garden I might take a quick photo of my veggies later,to post on my Blog. Its amazing how quickly everything grows if you take a photo a month & keep a record Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Sarah, if you want some Lupin seeds later on, let me know and I'll save you some. Same goes for anyone else: We will also be able to offer Delphiniums and Hollyhocks. Just send me a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Ooooooo - yes please! I love Delphimiums & Hollyhocks too I will send you a pm.....I am sure I can send you some interesting seeds in return! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 I've probably missed something really obvious here, but what is the advantage of raised beds over a normal veggie patch please ? My veggie patch is bordered on three sides by two walls and the concrete gravel boards at the bottom of the (new) fence, and I just wondered if it was worth putting an edge to the remaining side, which is next to the path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Wow Annie, it looks really good. I'm just PMing you by the way! By the way, does anyone know where the square foot gardening post went? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
