THE GOOD LIFE (rocket gardens)

I always dreamed of being good at growing stuff. When my cousin and I were kids we used to talk about living together in a house with a mirrored hallway, lined with Maidenhair ferns.

Get that judge-y look off your face – it was the 80’s!

But there was one rather large obstacle in the way of my green-fingered ambitions: I was a serial plant killer. I never meant to hurt the little fellas, I’d just forget to water them. Then I’d realise what I’d done, try to make up for it, and drown the poor blighters. They never stood a chance. Plus, I was an urbanite, and second-floor flats and concrete stairwells weren’t conducive to green spaces.

Then we had the girls, and moved out of the Big Smoke, into a grown-up house with actual grass, and a back yard. As the girls (and I) got older, and stuff like organic food became more important, the appeal of the ‘Good Life’ grew.

So when the team from ROCKET GARDENS got in touch to ask we want to try one of their gourmet organic ‘instant gardens’, I knew this was it – the chance to finally fulfil my leafy dreams.

The entire garden arrived via courier in a regular cardboard box filled with straw. Nifty, huh?

Nestled inside were dozens of baby plant plugs; the contents vary according to what’s in season, but ours included lettuce, beans, peas, tomatoes, courgettes, greens, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and beetroot… In fact, there were so many plants I completely filled the raised bed, and had to gift the leftovers to my gardening-mad neighbour. Veggies for everyone!

The next few weeks were a plant grower’s paradise – unseasonably warm days, interspersed with good old English soakings. Our Rocket Garden grew, and grew, and grew. My curse was broken.

Check this out…

Big, green, healthy HOME-GROWN plants. In fact, they grew so big I had to thin them out and relocate my greens. True story.

The girls have loved seeing the plants grow, and take turns watering the garden after school. There’s just something strangely satisfying about growing your own food – the other day we even harvested some baby carrots, peas and rocket lettuce for dinner *proud face*.

It works out loads cheaper too – 10 pea plants cost just £3.99 (actually, they’re just £1.99 on sale on the Rocket Gardens website right now) which is almost what I pay for a packet fresh peas from the supermarket, and they’re not even organic. I. Know.

The upshot is – I’m slightly obsessed with growing things now. In fact, I’ve already been back on the website to look at more plants I can order, and have got my eye on some rhubarb (one crown for £3.99). Mmmmm… stewed rhubarb and custard – yum!

I think I’m going to need a bigger garden…

• our Rocket instant garden was provided for the purpose of review