Help me to grow something!

[jinsei]

Am going through a bit of a mid-life crisis at the moment - have posted elsewhere about this. Anyway, I have decided that it would help me to grow something. :)

I have one of those zip-up greenhouse things to get me started - you know, not a real greenhouse but some shelves with a cover. I quite like the idea of growing some sort of herbs/veg/fruit but anything would be ok really.

I am absolutely not greenfingered and can kill just about anything. I also don't have a lot of time. Please could someone suggest some good ideas for me to get started on?

TIA

Potatoes are easy and can be started soon. You can grow them in buckets or large bags. You can get potatoes for 'chitting' from garden centres.
Or tomatoes if you wait a while.

Thank you selks. I'm going to the garden centre later so might give the potatoes a try.

Courgettes are so easy, and plentiful. Keep picking them young{small} to keep them coming. Great with pasta and cheese, I have a very easy recipe on my site.

Thank you vena, I love courgettes. Would like to try your recipe - where is your website?

Hi my website is www.susiehunter.co.uk hope you like the recipe it is called summer pasta.xxx

Grow peas, just poke a pea (from a seed packet) about 2nd finger knuckle deep in the soil. About 12 weeks later, eat the peas.
Alpine strawberries are easy too, and make nice ground cover.
Radishes and spring onions crop quickly, and shallots are no hassle either (just poke a shallot in the ground so you can just see the top, by summer there will be a cluster of shallots where the one was.

Strawberries in pots are good too. You'd have to keep them nicely watered though, and make sure that when they are flowering that bees etc can get to them to pollinate them. Other than the occasional feed they are trouble free usually.
Herbs - you could grow perennial ones such as mint, sage, thyme easily in pots (mint would need to be well watered), and also annual herbs such as parsley and coriander.

Also pots of colourful annuals in between the veg and herbs and it will look lovely!
Look out for easy to grow annuals such as calendula and nasturtium (dwarf varieties).
You'll also be able to buy 'plug plant' trays of baby annual plants such as busy lizzie too.

The main thing is with pots is watering. Get into a routine of watering every single day. This can be a nice relaxing potter in the evening. They will need a liquid feed every now and then - there are lots of types of liquid feed but I'd look for a balanced organic one if you can (my personal preference).
Also when the weather warms up you won't want to keep plants behind plastic in your greenhouse - they'll swelter. Roll it back then.
Buy yourself a squirty spray bottle then any pests such as aphids can easily be dealt with (spray water with small amount of washing up liquid in over affected plants).
Enjoy!

Hey Jinsei, getting back to your mid life crisis, if it helps just thought I should say I seem to have one every other week, I do not cope well with stress these days!! you are not alone.

Wow, lots of great ideas here. On way to the garden centre now. :)

And thanks vena, it does help to know it's not just me - have had great support on the other thread, so now just need to get on with making some changes!

Thanks all - went to the garden centre and bought tomatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, cucumbers and a selection of herbs, then planted everything except the carrots. Can't wait for them to grow now! :)

Ooh, I forgot - bought strawberries too. Yum!

Excellent!