Has anyone ever sold surplus veg/plants at their garden gate?

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I have loads of french beans, courgettes, tomatoes, spinach atm, but have other gluts some years and always extra tomato and bedding plants in the spring.

I have been thinking of putting some out by the gate with a board and an honesty box. We're opposite a primary school, so fairly high passing traffic (once they go back) Has anyone tried it? Is it just going to annoy me because no-one wants my stuff and/or it gets stolen? Would it be better to get them to knock for the veg and payment, rather than leaving it out?

I would try the honesty box route. Do a sign that is displayed to best advantage and hope for the best. You will be putting your faith in your fellow man, but you have nothing to lose other than your veg (to be proud of and hard won at times) If successful, word will get round, especially at a school gate. Put a poster up at the school? Feeds into the healthy eating promotion...

My mother did it for years. Top tip, make sure that the honesty box is screwed down. Other than that she did really well out of it.

I sell plants from a table at the front of the house, mostly left over seedlings or perennials that I've divided and made new plants from. I tried it as an experiment but it went so well I've kept it out permanently. I've probably made about £70 or £80 this summer, and the majority of my plants are priced at 50p or £1, so its easily paid for my gardening this year.

I live on a fairly quiet country lane and my honesty box has been pinched twice since May. Its a marg tub with a couple of pebbles in the bottom to stop it blowing away. Its right by the front of the house though which probably helps, although I do leave it out all the time.

I'd say definitely go for it - you'll get a lot more custom than I do, and it gives you quite a buzz when you check and there's coins in the pot.

I live on a busy street. I leave a tray on my doorstep & people put money through my letterbox.

Yes, have done this.

Top tip - you get less custom if your very large dog barks ferociously at anyone stopping at your gate

When he was shut round the back it worked fine . . .

Excellent. Thank you all. I shall give it a go

lots of people round here do this. I don't bother to grow my own tomatoes from seed any more, just get a local selection of small pots . all say "please put money through the letterbox" though, rather than have a pot. go for it :) (thinking of trying it next year ourselves).

I've done this for years and never had anything stolen.I don't weigh stuff out though because you get into all sorts of trading standards issues with that.I supply bags and put a sign up with prices per item or per bagful.I sell plants and eggs when I've a surplus too.

Realise this is oldish thread, but chix what sort of stuff sold well? Some friends advised us once that people tend to go for actual produce (fruit/veg) rather than plants, when we were trying to sell plants from front of our house.

Am thinking of trying again this year...

I would love it if one of my neighbours did this!

whereabouts are you Methe ?

Once upon a time, when we lived in the middle of nowhere, we took to leaving anything remotely useful that we didn't need anymore near the gate. It saved a lot of trips to the dump and the children made pocket money from appearing from nowhere with their bucket and saying you don't have to put anything in but we'd be very grateful if you did.

We made lots of good friends too while clearing out their surplus honey, eggs, vegetables, fruit and flowers. Combination of honesty box or call at door but only mine used the apparating [youngest] child technique.

You may wish to start with a "call at the door" sign to begin with. For relatively expensive items, we'd say please pay through the letterbox. It was truly amazing how many people go shopping down lanes in the middle of nowhere.

The grim Black Country... An honesty box round here would not be a good idea.

My friend did this with eggs - never seemed to have a problem with them being stolen, but she did have the honesty box nailed down.

I would LOVE to do this, if I had a garden.

I was thinking of doing this as we have so many raspberries, artichokes, asparagus and apples! We also live on a street on the school run in a large village but also near a shop, so not sure what they will think! Mind you sure the asparagus will do well. Also thinking of getting some ducks (already have chickens) so could sell when have too many eggs. I did go through a stage of making jam etc to use up the glut but would much prefer to make a few quid to have in my pocket! A neighbour sells plants and has a money/cage thing on the inside of the letter box so you can put money in without it rolling all over the floor and getting lost.

Hi ibbydibby I sold all sorts, bits and bobs of self seeded or divided plants from my garden, cuttings, houseplants, but the biggest seller of all were the really cheap annuals. They cost less than £1 for a packet of seeds, I got the pots from Freecycle and used home made compost and I sold masses - after taking out the best plants for our own garden. People kept knocking on the door to ask if we had any more. Lavender was really popular too.

I did sell a few veg, but we don't have much surplus other than courgettes and runner beans at the same time as everyone else does.

Thanks chix, that's really helpful. I'd better get started. Incidentally if you don't get enough pots from freecycle many garden centres give away their old ones, and we get a lot from there.

Which annuals do you recommend? Cosmos are v easy to grow, as are rudbeckia. Also sunflowers and marigolds - but wouldn't people grow their own? Am impressed that you had people knocking on the door to ask!

Wonderful idea. I would buy if anyone was doing this near me

I am thinking of doing this this year. I want to sell mainly pots of flowers/small veg plants . I would also love to sell some fresh bread, maybe a few loaves a week (you can get the necessary food hygience certificate online for £30 I think) and maybe homemade bathbombs (although think you need to pay for another certificate for that), cupcakes, biscuits perhaps? I don't know. I think bread, flowers and veg are the main things.

Out of interest do you think those things would sell? Have lots of pedestrian traffic passing from the station and school each day, I'm just a bit scared I'll put something out and then hardly ever have stuff to put in it. I don't have much space to grow veggies so what I do grow I want to eat, I'm thinking more of selling plants/seedlings early on in the season.

Does anyone have an idea as to where I could buy something to put my produce in? One old neighbour used a fabulous metal tray/cage thing, but she moved away and I don't know where she got it from. That's my biggest dilemma right now!