Bugler, sound the First Post

Well, here goes with my first blog.  Some of the veg growers up North have inspired me to try growing a few veg after reading their blogs and seeing them sharing their knowledge so freely - it's a breath of fresh air, apart from some hysterically funny comments and posts.  Thank you to Dan at http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/index.html for getting me to get my backside into gear, getting out there and doing it.

I'd like to share my experiences in growing vegetables (and a few flowers) in raised beds with those who, like me, may be quite good gardeners but have never grown veg before.  I'll show the good, the bad and the ugly having reached the time in life when I'm not too embarrassed to admit life's failures, as only by failing can we succeed (as the parrot famously said).

I'm going to attempt to grow at least a few veg over the 12 months of the year and as much as I can during the main season April - September (at least that is what is it here in the UK).

Reason for raised beds?  For me anyhow, a very bad back and one which won't get any better.

Yes, the growing conditions, soil, intensity of crop are all other reasons but for me it's to make life easy, or at least easier.

We started the beds back in August 2010 and here, we'll show our efforts, successes, failures and hopefully share some good tips too.  A word of warning though, I believe everything printed on any packet and will try it at least once so we'll get to see some ideas and products that will either amaze or be totally useless.

We're down here in the South of England where we enjoy a somewhat better climate and longer season than the veg experts up North so let's see what we can do and what we can grow. They simply amaze me at what they grow so with the best possible growing conditions we've only ourselves to blame.  It's going to be fun.

Please enjoy my blog and I'll try to post at least weekly.