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An interview with a young Gardener

Team RGA spoke with a young, enthusiastic Gardener recently about their Gardening experiences, goals and achievements. It was very impressive to see their garden and cultivation area.
It just goes to show, age is just a number and no matter how young or old, ability or experience, gardening can be for you!

How did you get into gardening?

Growing up, I was surrounded by a back garden that grew a small selection of produce. I enjoyed helping my parents in the garden with tasks such as picking raspberries and other fruits and helping plant seeds.
More recently, I have taken a keen interest in maintaining and developing the garden. I have recently added a new vegetable patch and a second greenhouse.

What are you growing this year?

A lot. A number of vegetables including potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic, radish and many others.
Fruits, amongst other things: tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, various fruit trees (apples, pears, cherry, plum, apricot, peach.)
A variety of herbs and wildflowers are useful for attracting pollinators and for culinary uses.
I have the largest variety of chillis in my garden, over 30 varieties!

Why do you enjoy gardening?

I find gardening very satisfying and rewarding, from the first moment a seed sprouts to the first harvesting. It’s also a peaceful and relaxing hobby.

What have you found difficult to grow?

The Trinidad Scorpion Chilli. I have not been very successful in germinating the seeds to date, but I am determined to continue to develop and try new techniques to increase the success rate.

What are your gardening aims?

My ultimate goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible – growing more and more food each year. My Goal for this year is to have another successful gardening year – increasing my yield from last year.

Do you have any tips to help others get started?

Start small, and pick easy to grow crops such as herbs, tomatoes and raspberries. Try to find out what you enjoy growing the most and focus on these species.
You don’t have to aim for complete self-sufficiency, starting small and with one crop is a good place to start.
If space is limited or you have no garden at all, make full use of what you have, by exploring new directions (and heights) to grow, using containers even plastic bottles.

Final thoughts

If you have any questions for our young Gardener, please write them in the comments below. 

Interested in getting involved with RGA? Get in touch at: [email protected] 

About RGA

River Gardeners’ Association is a local, friendly club for amateur and ‘armchair’ gardeners of all ages. Our members’ interests include growing fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers, home produce, crafts, floral art and Photography.

We hold several shows each year in River Village Hall which are open to all members, with separate sections in the shows for children. New members are always welcome.

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