Reno Diaries: A Little Bit of Gardening

There hasn’t been much focus on our garden since the blog began, mainly because we look out of the window, look at each other, and wonder what on earth we’re going to do with it. For now it’s just “there” but this year we’ve both been a little bit more committed to trying to keep it looking tidier.

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A few weeks ago, one of the other residents on our estate offered up some little tomato plants for free via the residents Facebook groupย and I took a couple, wondering if it might be possible to actually grow something instead of destroy it which is how most of my green-fingered attempts end.

tomato plants

After repotting them, they stood on top of a cupboard in the garden in a nice sunny spot and away from all the slugs, loosely tethered to a cane to help them grow. It didn’t take long for them to need a new home and my colleague who is very clever at growing things said I could keep them in the pots but really they needed to be grown against a fence if possible, to give them a supporting structure and direction.

Garden before

There was only really one part of the garden that they’d be safe without being swamped by other bushes and plants but it was smothered in brambles so one evening after work I dug deep and spent two hours clearing the area, creating a little space for the two tomato plants plus a rosemary bush.

Garden after

Not only does this little patch of garden look much lovelier now but the tomato plants are thriving and there’s even the first hint of tiny tomatoes growing! I must get some feed for them because the leaves at the bottom of the plants are turning a bit yellow which my good friend Google tells me is to do with either over-watering or not enough nutrients in the soil or both.

baby tomato

Another mini-house project ticked off the list, and as a bonus we also unearthed an outdoor plug for an old lamp we didn’t think worked (because we couldn’t find the plug) and it works! I might have to get Pete to write one of these mini-house project posts once he’s fitted new lights…don’t hold your breath

How green are your fingers? Any tips for my tomato plants?

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18 Comments

  1. July 29, 2015 / 8:39 pm

    I’m doing tomato plants for the first time this year too! I have them in my my back porch, which is a bit like a greenhouse. They’re very tall, but so far only two tomatoes! If you want an easy, low-maintenance option for your garden you could just try lots of lovely flowering shrubs.

    • Lins
      July 29, 2015 / 10:19 pm

      It’s funny you should say that because I was talking to someone earlier today when I was walking the dog who said that his were also very tall (as are mine now) with few tomatoes. Very strange! I love learning about gardening, little by little though x

  2. July 29, 2015 / 9:15 pm

    You gave a great garden, I’m looking forward to having my own garden one day (we live in a flat right now) and I’d love to try growing tomatoes and strawberries! #HomeEtc

    Carolyn
    http://www.stylishmemories.com

    • Lins
      July 29, 2015 / 10:21 pm

      Thank you Carolyn ๐Ÿ™‚ There’s something really lovely about growing your own fruit and veg, the previous placed we lived in which we were renting had a little strawberry patch and the strawberries were so tasty x

  3. Stephanie Robinson
    July 29, 2015 / 9:36 pm

    Good luck with the tomatoes – I’m sure you’ll be fine though, and once you’ve grown your own I’m sure there’ll be no turning back because they taste so much better than anything you buy x #homeetc

    • Lins
      July 29, 2015 / 10:34 pm

      It’s so true, and also makes me realise what kind of rubbish they put on supermarket fruit and veg ๐Ÿ™ X

  4. July 29, 2015 / 10:06 pm

    Ahh that’s so nice they were giving away tomato plants! You’ve done well growing them, it’s so exciting when you they actually start coming out! Sabrina xx #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      July 29, 2015 / 10:37 pm

      I feel like I become a tomato obsessive…I’ll be overjoyed if they actually turn red! X

  5. July 29, 2015 / 10:18 pm

    Ooo, get you, Mrs Green Fingers! I’m the kiss of death for fruit and vegetables. Nothing grows for me that’s actually edible. I’m just getting to grips with flowers but tomatoes might be a stretch too far.

    • Lins
      July 29, 2015 / 10:45 pm

      Haha well you can only call me Mrs Green Fingers if the tomatoes actually amount to anything. The jury is still out on that one! X

  6. Sue @ Home Heart Harmony
    July 29, 2015 / 11:32 pm

    I have made my first attempt to grow something this summer too! My 9yo went on a school trip to a farm and came home with 3 pea seeds planted in a tiny pot. We lovingly raised them until they were big enough to go outside and then re-potted them in a larger pot in the garden. A few months later, our boy has just eaten his first crop of peas for dinner! He was so excited when he saw them grown and ready to pick and announced that he couldn’t believe he had grown them ‘all by himself!’ I didn’t like to mention that I had been outside watering them every evening for the last 3 months! Good luck with the tomatoes!

  7. Jenna
    July 30, 2015 / 11:26 am

    They look fab and looks like they’ve found the perfect home. My tomato plants were doing well but they were in one of those little mini greenhouse things that cost about a tenner. Well with the windy weather we’ve been having, they ended up completely squashed and are looking rather sorry for themselves. I keep meaning to rescue them and find them a better spot to grow. I fear it may be to too late, though! #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      July 31, 2015 / 12:41 pm

      Hm well I think I’m still waiting to see if they actually come to anything yet, the tomatoes do look to be growing but are so slow! X

  8. July 30, 2015 / 8:00 pm

    Aaah I DO love a bit of something edible in the garden!! ๐Ÿ™‚ We’ve started buying tumbling tomato plants and putting them in hanging baskets! ๐Ÿ™‚ Not only do you get LOTS of fruit โ€” they look pretty too โ€” and because they’re in a basket, up high, they’re a great space saving tip for small gardens!

    Your garden’s lovely ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks so much for linking up with #HomeEtc โ€” hope to see you again next week! x

    Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk

    • Lins
      July 31, 2015 / 12:39 pm

      I didn’t know you could get tumbling tomato plants, they sound so fun and what a great idea to put them in hanging baskets X

  9. mummyofboygirltwins
    August 4, 2015 / 2:36 pm

    Thanks so much for linking up with #HomeEtc โ€” hope to see you again next week! Jess xx

  10. Lucy
    August 4, 2015 / 6:56 pm

    I look forward to seeing how your tomato plants get on in their new home! Hoping to be able to grow some of our own next year x

    • Lins
      August 5, 2015 / 11:09 am

      They’re still quite small at the moment but I’m not giving in! X

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