If you have an interest in growing your own vegetables, herbs and flowers, now is the best time to plan for your garden and vegetable plot and start ordering seeds for the year ahead. If you're a regular grower, the best way to start is to look through the seeds you already have, discard any empty or out-of-date seed packets and make a note of those you need to replace, or any new crops you're interested in.
Image by PMAnguita from Pixabay
If you're new to growing your own vegetables, then it's a good idea to evaluate your space, think about the vegetables you enjoy most and also consider which of those you enjoy cost the most to buy from a supermarket. If you have a fairly small space, for instance, dedicating an entire area to onions, which are relatively cheap to buy and don't vary greatly in taste between varieties, may not be the best idea. If you like other veg like green beans, courgettes and kale, these can be relatively expensive in a shop but generally inexpensive to grow without taking up a huge amount of space.
It's also worth thinking about what you can't buy in a supermarket too. One of the great advantages of growing your own fruit and vegetables is that it opens up a world of possibilities in terms of the sheer amount of varieties and unusual crops you can grow.
As for growing your own flowers, this is an enjoyable and inexpensive way of bringing colour and structure to your garden, whether with a scattering of colourful annuals that bring a temporary flourish of seasonal vibrancy to an empty spot, or growing hardy perennials that will bring joy year after year. You'll be surprised just how quickly your plants will establish and grow.
If your fortunate enough to have a conservatory or green house, or even have a sunny, south facing windowsill, you can start some annuals like cornflowers and antirrhinum (or snap dragons) now. Winter salads can also be started off in seed trays and if you haven't planted them directly, broad beans can be given a good start using root-trainers or even cardboard toilet-roll inners filled with compost.
No matter whether you have a large garden or a balcony, a field or a container, we are sure you will find the whole experience of growing your own flowers or vegetables rewarding and if you have children, why not get them involved too!
We have a wide range of flower and vegetable seeds available from reputable suppliers, as well as a selection of propagation accessories and if you need any advice about growing your own, our experienced staff are available to ask to answer any questions you may have.
Finally, if you're looking to grow your own fruit, we have a variety of options available to you from potted fruit trees to soft fruit bushes and we still have some bare root options in stock (although, maybe wait until the ground has defrosted before planting these out just yet).
We have also put together this growing calendar, with the help of GardenFocused.co.uk, to help you plan ahead: 2025 Growing Calendar
For those interested in learning more we are running a "Sowing Seeds for Beginners" event at both of our stores in Boyle and Roscommon Town on Saturday 25th January from 11am to 12 noon. The cost to attend is €20 and you can book your place here >>>
Good luck and happy growing!
