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Meet Old Geezer - AboutProperty's Gardening Guru

Thursday, 13 October 2011 8:59 AM

By Old Geezer

In the current economic climate many people are attempting to 'grow their own' for the first time, the intention being to save a few quid. I hope over the coming months I can help you achieve just that.

Although I went to college studying horticulture it was a long time ago now. I got as far as the old NC Horticultural, back when that was a three year endeavour. I was taught the finer points by the old boys, who used to look after the gardens in 'the big house'.

These old boys from the manor houses really knew their onions, if you'll pardon the pun. Their lives were ruled by cook and what cook wanted... and they had better have it or there'd be trouble.

They lived by the creed of don't work hard, work smart, an ethic I totally agree with. Especially as advancing years and increasing reminders of past injuries continue to slow me down!

I have a different way of doing things compared to the well known 'experts'. This is not to say they are wrong... but a little knowledge can save a fortune.

This may be a bit harsh, but most gardening programmes or the presenters are sponsored by companies who supply many of the products they then turn around and tell us we need. The lesson I suppose is to always remember who is lurking in the background wanting a return on their investment.

My contention is that there is another way. It is worth growing your own; it doesn't have to be hard, or expensive. If you grow your crops using the same methods as the commercial boys, it will cost the same (or more) and taste the same as what you would have bought.

Want to learn how to grow top quality vegetables but save money? Then follow my weekly guides courtesy of AboutProperty and get digging!

Old Geezer (Paul Rix) can be found posting on RealGardeners. He is also the author of Beyond the Potting Shed and numerous thrillers under a pseudonym.

Got a question for Old Geezer? Send them on over to editorial@aboutproperty.co.uk.

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