The problem with growing vegetables is they take a season to grow and we only have limited space to grow them in. Which leaves us in an unenviable predicament - which ones should we grow?

With so many varieties of tomato (as an example) - which ones get the nod and which ones don't? And, why? Do we opt for new species? Taste? Shape and size? Or, yield?

I'm sure every gardener has their own rationale for deciding upon which plants to grow and for the most part they're not incredibly difficult choices. So, what do you do if the choice comes down to the final two and you're struggling to make a decision?

Well here are a few tips to help you make that choice;

1. Eeny-meeny-miney-mo - I can sense the contempt in your attitude already!!!! Work with me, people! Sure, this is a child's form of decision making but don't discount it so readily. The eeny-meeny-miney-mo process has a lot going for it. Firstly, you are guaranteed of a result. Second, you can sway the outcome by adding extra eeny-meenies into the mix and finally it's a method that is easy to remember and is universally accepted - and understood.


2. He loves me - he loves me not - taking the process up another step we find the eternal flower-petal discardation (that's my word, but you can use it if you like) technique. As with the eeny-meeny process it must provide a result as each flower only has so many petals. Obviously, it's a little more destructive and I'm not sure Al Gore wouldn't have a thing or two to say about it, but it's a small price to pay to arrive at a decision making conclusion.


3. Paper-Scissors-Rock - you will need another person to help you with this decision. If you're trying to sway the vote, Dumb Little Man has some great tips on how to win this game. I find the most useful part of this decision making form is the ability to make it the "Best-of" series. So if you're down 3-1 you can easily modify the game plan to be the "Best of 7" or 9 or 11 .....


4. Flip a coin - while this gives both choices an equal 50-50 split, I find this option is a little too restricting. There is no chance to 'game' the toss and therefore the stark reality of a completed decision cannot be argued. You could implement the "Best-of" procedure to add some spice but really this is a one-toss decision maker.


5. Draw a card - similar to draw straws except you can do this one by yourself just by using a deck of playing cards. Set your own criteria (Ace - means draw again: 2-7 for one option and 8-picture card for the other choice) or you can sway the chances by reducing the number of cards for one of the options.



This should give you a few ways to aid that decision-making process and if you know of any I've missed I'm keen t hear from you.