Garden Office Blog

Reap the Rewards of a Vegetable Garden

Reap the Rewards of a Vegetable Garden

By Andrew Tweddle on 16th November, 2011

One of the main joys of gardening is creating a space that you can visually enjoy, and you can spend a lot of time making your garden look as appealing as possible. There are other ways to benefit from giving your garden due care and attention, one of which is growing fruit, vegetables and herbs. By doing this, you’re not only getting a garden that looks good, but also one that is providing you with some fantastic food. Here are a few ideas to help you get started, especially if you’ve never tried growing produce before:

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are possibly the most popular fruit grown in British gardens, which is mostly due to how easy they are to grow. The optimum time to plant seeds is during May, and you will be able to start picking your tomatoes at some pint in August. The plant needs watering when the top layer of soil surrounding the plant is completely dry. Tomatoes can also be grown indoors if there is no suitable space outside, as long as they have access to plenty of sunlight.

Strawberries

Strawberries go hand in hand with the British summer and are great served with cream or as part of a fruit salad. Strawberries can be planted as early as April, and you will see ripe fruit in a matter of weeks. You want to make sure you don’t overwater the strawberries. They only need watering if the top layer of soil is dry. The plants can be grown in pots, hanging baskets or in the garden.

Mint

If you can’t wait till spring to start planting fruit and vegetables, you can try growing mint, because it will grow at any time of the year, though it will thrive more indoors. The easiest way to grow this fantastic little herb is to buy a small plant from a garden centre, then simply place it on a windowsill. Again, the plant does not need watering everyday, because overwatering can hamper its growth. The mint leaves will be ready in just a few weeks and go great with fish or in salad.

Chilli Peppers

If you want to try something a little different, chilli peppers are a fantastic way to go. They come in an astonishing array of choices, including a number of ultra-hot varieties. It’s best to choose a variety to suit your individual taste, but always be careful when trying a new variety for the first time. Chilli peppers are best planted indoors to begin with, and will take around two months before there is any significant growth. They will thrive much better during the summer, because of the warmer temperatures and sunlight. The easiest way to tell if they’re ready is simply to see if they are firm to the touch.

These are just a few of the simplest ideas when starting to grow produce in your garden, but are easy enough even for the most inexperienced gardener. A Decorated Shed garden office provides the perfect space if you are growing these plants indoors, as the large windows and doors let a lot of light in. Plus, the excellent insulating qualities of every Decorated Shed garden office means you can keep your plants at a suitable temperature. By placing plants in your garden office, it also helps create a more relaxing and inviting atmosphere.


Category:  Garden Offices

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