The Bluffers Guide to Growing Veg

I’m looking at my kitchen windowsill and feeling guilty - again.  It’s groaning under the weight of tender vegetable seedlings which the children and I will plant out this week.  There are tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes, squash, outdoor cucumbers and even a fledgling sweetcorn.

Sounds good doesn’t it? Trouble is, like the dinner party hostess who bought Marks & Spencer ready meals, I feel such a fraud.

You see, although we planted the tomatoes and pumpkins, everything else was bought from a shop.  Not even a garden centre or nursery – just the local discount shop in town.

Is this wrong?  Have I let myself down?  Even worse have I let the children down not growing it all from seed?

Of course, my intentions were honourable, but as Bill Clinton would have it ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’  Packet of squash seeds £3.65.  Cost of single, successfully germinated and grown on plant £1.  Likelihood I would misplace seeds until too late to sow – high. Ditto for cucumbers, courgettes and sweetcorn.

This way, the children get the chance to try growing a range of vegetables they would otherwise miss out on, plus I only have to make windowsill room for a single plant of each.

Pragmatic or just cheating?  You decide...

 

 

 

 

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Comments

[Deb]

Really, I don't think it matters. I've grown most of my things from seed but have bought a couple of things too (sweetcorn, celery, Autumn gourds). In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter.

There's always next year.

[Helen/patientgardener]

I bought broad bean plants this year as mine failed to germinate and felt like a fraud as well.

However, I think buying one plant is much better especially when you are talking about squashes and courgettes - who needs more than one or two anyway.

[Themoderngardener]

Definitely too hard on yourself! My husband and I were just saying the other day how when we have kids we will be unlikely to have the extra time during the two or three months it takes to nurture from seed. Feel good that you are growing your own veg, and doing it economically.

[Lia Leendertz]

This is the first year in a long while that i have grown everything from scratch, and although i'm feeling smug i do think there is a lot to say for buying them ready to pop into the ground. So much can go wrong with seedlings! Yours are healthy, cheap and easy. Well done.

[Dawn Isaac]

Thank you all for the encouragment. I shall go and feel guilty about something else now instead...

[islandgardener]

You are not cheating at all -- I only use seeds if I can sow them directly. My house is too small to set up grow lights and start them inside. Otherwise, I buy everything -- from farmers' markets, the grocery store, plant nursery -- wherever I find something interesting!

[JamesA-S]

All these people are being far too polite....
extreme guilt over the small things is terribly good for you. Gets you in training is case you ever need to mug somebody or rob a bank.
Also if you really felt guilty you would remove the labels and keep quiet about the exact provenance of your vegetables. Nobody would ever have known.
Except you: as you toss and turn through endless sleepless nights.....

[Dawn Isaac]

Islandgardener - thank you for the solidarity.

James - After that comment, you may have moved to the top of my list of people to mug... (especially if you are laden with glittery red shoes and botox)

[Avis]

I think you've found a very happy medium. The kids have had the experience of starting veggies from seed with the couple things you did grow yourself and you've saved money and time by finding plants cheaper than the seeds. That equals more quality time enjoying the garden with the kids!