Patio Garden

As suggested by the description of this blog, I don't have a garden. This might seem to be a problem for anyone aspiring to even a modicum of self-sufficiency, and I have to admit that yes, it is. I got pretty hooked on vegetable growing last year when Kirsty and I lived in a house with a big garden, but we moved into our own place last September, and given that Cambridge is fairly pricey in property terms (and all other terms as well), this is a flat, albeit a flat in one of the nicest parts of town. I toyed with the idea of trying to get an actual allotment, but investigations suggested that there were long waiting lists for all the plots within a reasonable distance of town, plus the nearest one doesn't even have a water supply. Even if allotments were more readily available, what I really enjoyed about vegetable growing was being able to potter out of my back door and into the garden in the morning and evening. Inspecting radishes at 7am is better for the soul than any amount of gym and jogging. Somehow the thought of having to tramp halfway across town didn't have the same appeal.

One of the things that really sold the flat to us, however, was its big patio, so this year I'm trying to convert said patio into an 'urban allotment'. So far I've got two big raised beds (courtesy of http://www.crocus.co.uk/) which have been transformed into large containers thanks to a liner, and a modern (read: plastic) version of the old-fashioned Victorian strawberry planter, plus innumerable pots and planters. The whole thing has not been cheap and requires many trips to Homebase for organic compost, but we've justified it on the basis that it's both my main hobby and a good opportunity to learn to be skilled veggie growers so that we stand a better chance of being able to achieve real self-sufficiency in a few years time.

I might try and put a picture of some sort up soon, but right now I better get to the library. What passes for my 'real world' calls.