This month my sister and I are taking on a new project: crops in pots! I have always been interested in gardening and have always had a dream of being self-sufficient, living off the land, so now we are going to have a go at growing some edibles in pots at home!
In this series, I will be documenting our progress and sharing any information or tips I discover. I hope you will find this helpful or interesting. Gardening indoors while severely ill, I’m excited to see how it turns out, and you?
Ordering Garden Supplies Online
I am still housebound, and the whole of the UK has just gone into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the only way I could acquire my supplies is through online shopping. In the past I have used various suppliers. One of my favourites is Bakker. Our whole garden in Italy was supplied by them. Excellent quality.
We planted hundreds of bulbs and picking flowers as well as fruit and nut trees, berries and 4 beds of vegetables using the companion planting method. The garden was very successful and has supplied us with years of crops and flowers. This was before I fell ill with M.E.
Although we now live in the UK, we still own the property in Italy and my parents still return a few times annually. The Italian garden has unfortunately taken on more of a wild vibe now that nobody is there to tend to it regularly, but I’m sure the birds and rabbits appreciate the crops while we’re over here.
We are renting a house with a garden here in England now and for the past 2 years we have focused on growing flowers and herbs, but this year I’m going to try growing vegetables again. This time I have decided to order from a local supplier called Suttons.
Crops To Grow In Pots
The crops we will be attempting to grow in pots this year are:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Aubergines
- Courgettes
- Cucumbers
- Spring Onions
- Various Lettuces and salad greens
- Pak Choi
- Swiss Chard
- Green Beans
- Potatoes
- Strawberries
Growing Herbs
Herbs grow really well in pots too, we have had them growing on our windowsills for years, but last year we replanted all the herbs we had and they took off really well out in the garden. They have even lasted right through the winter and are still going strong, so I think I will just leave them out there and focus on the vegetables this year.
The herbs we are already growing successfully out in the garden are:
- Sage
- Parsley
- Thyme (a few varieties)
- Chives
- Rosemary
I’m really looking forward to the vegetable harvest and eating food grown at home. I’m sure we will make mistakes and we are bound to have some losses, but it’s all part of the learning process and I’m sure whatever we do get out of it will be quite rewarding.
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Monthly Gardening Updates
I really hope I will be able to update you every month and that you will enjoy reading abut my gardening adventures. I think it’s important to keep track of progress and any lessons learned, so having everything documented here will be helpful to me in the future too.
What About You?
- Have you grown any crops in pots? Which are your favourite?
- What sort of adjustments have you made in order to enjoy gardening while ill?
- Who is your favourite gardening supplier?
I love tending to my plants and succulents are easier to care for than other plants. We did this with succulents not that long back. http://all-hearts.org/2020/03/21/tea-cup-planter-workshop-for-world-down-syndrome-day/
Ah, succulents are beautiful. I have a little collection of mini cacti too. I do look forward to my morning walk through the house checking on the plants and opening all the curtains on my way to the fridge to get my medication. Your tea cup planters are so sweet. A lovely idea.
Happy gardening!! 🥕🍅🌱😊
Thanks Mishka! I hope you are doing okay during this chaotic time. Has anything changed much for you since this lockdown? Hugs
You’re welcome 🌸
My son is still working so that’s stressful because at any time he could become ill or bring it home, it feels like a waiting game.
As far as changes, the only differences are I can’t order groceries online, my normal tolerable foods are often unavailable, and doctors appointments have been pushed out. Everything else remains the same, life moves on around me. You know the drill first hand. 💙
Hoping you and your family stay safe and well 💕
We are all well, thanks. Our parents are keeping isolated at thir home, and my sis and I are isolated at ours. We do fortnightly supplies swaps, but the encounters are contactless and socially distanced, using PPE and all. We are taking every precaution. I also found that it’s mainly the groceries aquisition that is different for us, everything else is basically the same. Except that I seem to have more energy these days… I wonder if it’s a coincedence or if having less commotion outside the house has anything to do with it too? Who knows. Although I do tend to do better in April usually. May will be the real test, that’s when things usually go bad for me… All the best, lovely. I pray your family will be safe. x
Good to see you’re experiencing more energy! I’ve found I have more nervous energy. Sounds like you all are being so very safe. Hoping May is equally as kind to you. I do think, oddly, there’s a peacefulness in knowing we aren’t missing anything. The world has come about as close to us as it likely ever will. Interesting to watch from afar. Take good care and wishing you moments in the garden 🌸
So true. I had not thought of it that way. But yes, there is certainly a peacefulness around. It shows in the way nature has become more free too – animals are creeping back in where they were reserved before. It’s so interesting to see how they behave without human interference. Hope you have a lovely weekend xx