About Me

Welcome! My veggy blog is about the trials and tribulations of setting up my own vegetable plot in my back garden from scratch. Its now been up and running for 1 and a half years!

I have always wanted my own little bit of self suffiency, to be able to grow vegetables varieties that would not normally be available in the supermarkets and to have some sense of achievement when I have some veg to harvest. Now as I have a back garden, this is the time to do it.

Here’s what vegetables I’m growing this year: Plot Plan and Seed List 2009.
Here’s what vegetables I harvested last year: Veg Harvest 2007-8

Veggy Plot Goals for 2009

  • To be able to grow cabbage all year round and especially to harvest some in November to January. I’ll have to get my sowing times right.
  • To grow something different this year – New for 2009 are Khol Rabi and Sweet Fennel,
  • To get a compost bin,
  • To fit some guttering and get a water tank.
  • To produce some great tasting vegetables!

I am also studying (distance learning) for an RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture.
Good News I Passed Part I, just Part II to do now.

About My Vegetable Plot

3-plot-pics-170109

  • Location of Plot: Bottom of Back Garden, Essex, UK.
  • No. of Raised Beds: 3 (Plot 1 – Top of pic – Beans & Peas, 2 – Roots & Onions and 3 – Brassicas)
  • Size of Raised Beds: Each one is 5ft by 4ft and 1ft deep.
  • Direction: South Facing
  • Sun Position: Sunshine all day on all plots apart from evening where fence provides shade.
  • Shelter: Sheltered on one side by 6ft fence and other side by a Workshop.
  • Started sowing: 10 April 2007 on Plots 1 & 2 and 5 May 2007 on Plot 3 (peas and beans).
  • Gardening Method: Organic (no chemicals used on plot).
  • Method of protection for pests: Environmesh netting, slug traps, nematodes and pea sticks to deter cats.

If you want to keep up-to-date with my sowing times, growing and harvesting, then you can either:

Please take a look around for more details on my plot, veggies and garden:-

  • Plot Gallery – check out pictures of my plot and vegetables and how they progress through the year.
  • How To Page – how to build your own 5ft x 4ft veggy plots, cloches and sow vegetable seeds.
  • Plot Master Plan shows you what varieties of vegetables I will be growing.
  • Plot 1 Legumes shows you what is currently growing and being harvested on this plot.
  • Plot 2 Roots & Onions shows you what is currently growing and being harvested on this plot.
  • Plot 3 Brassicas shows you what is currently growing and being harvested on this plot.
  • Veg Harvested – Slideshow, veg reviews and no of weeks to harvest.
  • Weeds and Pests – See what pests and weeds I have come across and my solutions.


    • If you would like to contact me with your comments or ask any questions, please complete the form below.

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    3 Comments

    • 1. Chris  |  September 4, 2007 at 11:14 am

      Hello Tracey,

      I have always been interested in being self suffient. I am a 24yrd old father of 2 and even though there 1 and 4 they love to help out in the garden. I have recently moved into a house with a 30ft x 65ft garden (which is Hard to maintain) so i saw the oppertunity to get my plot sorted. I like your idea of a raised plot. Even though people say i dont really need to do a raised one with the size of the garden, i am going to attempt this because i can then fill it with fresh soil. I have in the past grown Runner beans and Carrots. But i put this down to luck. I would like to ask a couple of questions if thats ok.

      1) Dose it matter what type of manure i use? I am surrounded by farms, Would it be better to obtain it from them? I will mainly be growing: Carrots, Beans and peas, Cabbages, Peppers, Cucumber, Swede, Potatoes.

      2) How deep dose a raised plot need to be?

      3) I have seen that you have a planting guide in excel. Would it be at all possible to obtain a copy of it?

      Once again, thank you in advance. I like the website that is very detailed. Look foward to the updates.

    • 2. Tracey (Author of Blog)  |  September 7, 2007 at 4:56 pm

      Hi Chris,

      Thanks for your questions. I agree with you on the raised beds whereby you can add your own soil mixture, this is the advantage so you can get the right mixture for the right vegetable.

      1. You will need to use well rotted manure if you get it from farms, it should be cheap or free or try horse stables otherwise. Carrots don’t like manure in their soil so keep it out of the raised bed where you are growing them.

      2. How deep depends on how much soil you have to fill the raised beds and whether you want to kneel or sit to weed/sow/harvest. Most people go for 6 inch boards on allotments but I went for 12 inches high (2×6inch boards) but it took loads of topsoil, manure and compost to fill the beds.

      3. I will certainly email you a copy of the planting guide. If anyone else wants a copy, please leave a comment so I can email it back to you.
      Finally good luck with your plots and keep me posted on your progress. If you get a blog, I will add a link on my site.
      Regards
      Tracey

    • 3. Richard Grove  |  April 23, 2008 at 9:44 am

      I too am starting out in growing.
      I have a small patch in my garden last year and has mixed success.
      This year, I have a greenhouse and have just been given an allotment and am busy trying to get it weeded.

      Hope you have a good year.