What are you growing for the pot today?

Well I am into my third year of growing for the pot now. Started with half a dozen tomato plants then progressed to a whole wall full, a veg bed and I rented 80 sqm patch of land near me called a "Sonnenacker".

The tomatoes are crap this year. Not enough sun and generally too cool.

My veg bed has provided lettuce after lettuce, from those Lollo Biondo things to crinkly things which we ate so much of I got fed up of salad (not quite true). My rocket exploded all over the bed and is now in flower. It topped many a home made pizza. Parsley - no need to buy any of that either. Beans - tons of them. Kohl Rabi - waiting to be tugged out. My spinach was a bit bolted when I ate it.

The Sonnenacker! A relatively new concept in Germany. You pay 45 Euros for four ploughed "furrows" 25m long each which I can now say with experience is a hell of a lot of land to cultivate, especially when you have two bored kids, one of whom walks all over the plants and digs out the soil round your plants! In spite of this I've harvested potatoes, beans, peas, kohl rabi (massive) cabbage, cauli (my daughter calls the plant simply Cauliflower Cheese), broccoli, swiss chard (mangold), spinach, Our zucchini/courgettes are exploding into marrows after every rainstorm - I can't give away enough. The fennel I planted is huge. We've got pumpkins and leeks coming on nice too. You have top give up the plot in November though. No need to clear - the farmer simple ploughs everything back into the soil and lets nature do her job till next spring, when it begiuns again. Meantime I scrounged my sis in law's old freezer and am filling it up with fresh stuff after blanching and labelling. I don't have to buy many veg anymore from the local shop such is the bountiful harvest we are getting. And oh man is the food coming from this spot tasty!

If anyone is interested I can dig up the link for this new style of allotment.

good to know you are having fun jeremy. was wondering what happened to you.

This explains it: The English Gardener blog

Thanks Mr Vol. Pity I am so crap at updating it. Spell of insomnia has got me onlline for first time in months. Shouldnt have it as I trimmed a huge chunk of my hedge today.

That happens to me all the time.

You posted it last year: New scheme for growing your own veg in Bavaria

Well, nothing quite as impressive as your tomatoe regime, but my Mom and I have created a modest little veg bed in the back yard... we have carrots, peas, tomatoes, lettuce, spinich, swiss char, pumpkins, squashes, and a multitude of herbs. We hope to begin onions, peppers, and potatoes as well!
So far we have made numerous vegetarian salads, soups, and burger/sandwich fillings from our goods, asides from just snacking on them raw as a treat... pretty rewarding work!

I will be starting soon. We will finally be able to move into our house (plus garden) in about a week. I just need to figure out what vegetables will grow in northern Germany... has anyone tried cardoons?

I had to skip growing this year, there was not going to be enough time, so it is all fallow until next year. What I really want is livestock. Chickens and pigs. I also fancy building some massive water tanks, and farming prawns, but I think thats probably one of the most unrealistic things I have ever thought about doing. Oh well. Chickens and pigs though, piss easy. Maybe a few ducks too.