Well at least in the part of the UK where I live the snow has gone and there are already some keen vegetable growers working on their plots. I won’t be doing much on mine at the moment as the soil is almost solid clay (even after years of work on it). I might just go and see if I can get some parsnips and leeks and possibly some sprouts but certainly won’t be doing any digging over, like the two gentlemen I can see from my window.
It is amazing how different the soil is less than 100 metres from my plot, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was sand based but it is certainly a lot lighter than mine and has far superior drainage, which is why these gentlemen are able to work their soil today.
I have also been going through the emails again and a recurring question is “Can I save money growing my own vegetables?” Ok, the general answer to that question is yes, but it is dependant on so many factors that saying yes is fraught with danger.
Some factors are how much space you have to grow your vegetables in, what type of vegetables you want to grow, what type of vegetables will grow in our garden etc. etc. The biggest obstacle to saving money is if you have to go out and buy the equipment to start with. However, my general answer is probably not in the first year but from then onwards most likely yes. For more information see the article I wrote in March 2009 titled Save Money Grow your Own Vegetables.
Happy Gardening