PH veggie growers, what to do with my garden...
Discussion
Moved recently and have been sorting the garden out. I'd like to do something useful with it and be able to eat what I grow; think I've missed the window for planting anything but gives me plenty of time to get it in shape for next season 
Here's where we're at.
For reference the camera is pointing near enough due East. So far I've pulled all the weeds out and trimmed the big tree top left, not sure if I should've done that at a particular time of year but hey-ho its a lot smaller now
The soil is good in some areas but mostly your estate quality clay and rubble with a token inch of topsoil. My plan is to use some planks of wood to make a raised (hopefully about 6inches), rectangular planter at the far end of the garden in front of the trees. Break up the top inch or so of soil then fill with decent topsoil/compost/manure. This would be maybe a foot from the trees and fence on the left, and chop off the last foot or so of lawn; then extend right up to the wall. I don't think I need a massive amount of planting space as its just me that needs feeding, I can always make it bigger.
Veg wise I'm thinking of starting with potatoes and carrots, then maybe moving on to other things. Lettuce would be nice, not sure if tomatoes would grow outside up the wall (top-right). You can just see a trellis by the bin which I thought might be useful for growing peas and the like with a container at the bottom. I don't have anywhere obvious in the house that I can start seeds off in plant pots so was planning on sowing straight into the garden.
Really just looking for advice/tips from the more experienced gardening types This is my first place with a garden and always wanted to grow my own!
Here's where we're at.
For reference the camera is pointing near enough due East. So far I've pulled all the weeds out and trimmed the big tree top left, not sure if I should've done that at a particular time of year but hey-ho its a lot smaller now
The soil is good in some areas but mostly your estate quality clay and rubble with a token inch of topsoil. My plan is to use some planks of wood to make a raised (hopefully about 6inches), rectangular planter at the far end of the garden in front of the trees. Break up the top inch or so of soil then fill with decent topsoil/compost/manure. This would be maybe a foot from the trees and fence on the left, and chop off the last foot or so of lawn; then extend right up to the wall. I don't think I need a massive amount of planting space as its just me that needs feeding, I can always make it bigger.
Veg wise I'm thinking of starting with potatoes and carrots, then maybe moving on to other things. Lettuce would be nice, not sure if tomatoes would grow outside up the wall (top-right). You can just see a trellis by the bin which I thought might be useful for growing peas and the like with a container at the bottom. I don't have anywhere obvious in the house that I can start seeds off in plant pots so was planning on sowing straight into the garden.
Really just looking for advice/tips from the more experienced gardening types
This is my first place with a garden and always wanted to grow my own!I would say there's a lot of potential with a decent South-facing aspect, but it would be worth thinking & planning for next year.
In the meantime though, go pick up some lettuce seeds (something like Lollo Rosso - pretty red, tasty and quick growing) to sow around the two conifers. Unless the weather turns, you should get something in just a few weeks to keep you enthusiastic.
Then, a decent book - try Dr Hessayon's "The Vegetable & Herb Expert", cheap, easy to understand, readily available. Browse for a list of things you'd like to grow.
What I'd do is put a lot of effort into laying out plans (and executing them) for next year. The house wall looks very handy indeed. I presume you want the bins to remain there, and a question would be how important that path is. You might consider using the rest of the path space for a compost bin (Dalek type) and a water butt (if there's a drain pipe). As well as giving you somewhere to dispose of garden material (including the grass cuttings), "real" compost is like caviar to plants and well worth planning for. A 200l water butt would be fine for that garden. However, you should look to put some plants there. Options might be:
If you're handy, I'd custom-build for maximum space utilisation. Along that wall you can grow many plants that adore sun: peas, beans, spuds (with space), toms, etc. So plan on getting as much growing space as you can.
The trellis is more for twining, cimbing plants (not veg), so in time I'd look to ditch it and replace with vine eyes and wires to tie growing plants to. You could also do worse than mount troughs to spaces in the wall (e.g. one above the bins) to create more space. A good garden centre (and plan on finding one local) will have some solid brackets for troughs with watering trays (drill out a few holes in the bottom of the trough).
Elsewhere, the curved wall also looks a good space for a few plants - tall and short. The confiers are a bit of a problem - fancy moving them? I would look at doing something to demarcate the area and the lawn - perhaps a raised bed from the door stepping around to the bush in the North-East corner for starters? Build it with wood (3" posts, no postcrete, 2" thick boards will look sturdy) or brick, perhaps 12" high. Keep it less than 2' deep (so you can reach the back)
If the soil's crappy, some basic prep would be smart as you backfill. Dig deep to break it up, add a lot of (real, not multi-purpose) compost or manure at the bottom of the hole, then replace the soil on top. Do this by the Autumn, and it will have rotted down superbly for the Spring. You now have deep, fertile, square beds in which to put nice straight rows of pretty much whatever you want.
From there, you now have the book to start planning for next year. Early in the new year a bit of fertiliser will help (the book will tell you):
HTH & Good Luck
In the meantime though, go pick up some lettuce seeds (something like Lollo Rosso - pretty red, tasty and quick growing) to sow around the two conifers. Unless the weather turns, you should get something in just a few weeks to keep you enthusiastic.
Then, a decent book - try Dr Hessayon's "The Vegetable & Herb Expert", cheap, easy to understand, readily available. Browse for a list of things you'd like to grow.
What I'd do is put a lot of effort into laying out plans (and executing them) for next year. The house wall looks very handy indeed. I presume you want the bins to remain there, and a question would be how important that path is. You might consider using the rest of the path space for a compost bin (Dalek type) and a water butt (if there's a drain pipe). As well as giving you somewhere to dispose of garden material (including the grass cuttings), "real" compost is like caviar to plants and well worth planning for. A 200l water butt would be fine for that garden. However, you should look to put some plants there. Options might be:
- Lift the slabs and put in a raised bed.
- Build a freestanding structure, Perhaps a shelf/underspace storage, then a deep (18") planting trough above. Good for "big" plants like spuds.
- Staging: a series of shelves to put pots & troughs on. Good for herbs, chillies and other smaller plants. Buy or make. Some kits have clear covers (a mini greenhouse) so you can get plants going earlier. Or make your own with thin double-walled polyboard.
If you're handy, I'd custom-build for maximum space utilisation. Along that wall you can grow many plants that adore sun: peas, beans, spuds (with space), toms, etc. So plan on getting as much growing space as you can.
The trellis is more for twining, cimbing plants (not veg), so in time I'd look to ditch it and replace with vine eyes and wires to tie growing plants to. You could also do worse than mount troughs to spaces in the wall (e.g. one above the bins) to create more space. A good garden centre (and plan on finding one local) will have some solid brackets for troughs with watering trays (drill out a few holes in the bottom of the trough).
Elsewhere, the curved wall also looks a good space for a few plants - tall and short. The confiers are a bit of a problem - fancy moving them? I would look at doing something to demarcate the area and the lawn - perhaps a raised bed from the door stepping around to the bush in the North-East corner for starters? Build it with wood (3" posts, no postcrete, 2" thick boards will look sturdy) or brick, perhaps 12" high. Keep it less than 2' deep (so you can reach the back)
If the soil's crappy, some basic prep would be smart as you backfill. Dig deep to break it up, add a lot of (real, not multi-purpose) compost or manure at the bottom of the hole, then replace the soil on top. Do this by the Autumn, and it will have rotted down superbly for the Spring. You now have deep, fertile, square beds in which to put nice straight rows of pretty much whatever you want.
From there, you now have the book to start planning for next year. Early in the new year a bit of fertiliser will help (the book will tell you):
- Spuds are a doddle, though they take up quite a bit of space. You buy seed potatoes rather than seeds. A little work on the window sill, then straight in the ground.
- Ditto toms, provided you get them going indoors until the worst weather has passed.
- Carrots, lettuce and many others can be sown stright to the garden.
- Also, onions & garlic are useful (and do a lot to prevent pests). Buy sets (mini-onions) rather than seeds, and just bung 'em in the ground.
- There are also a few things you could put in now for over-winter - some onions, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli (if you're quick) and some cabbages.
HTH & Good Luck
Thanks for the detailed reply, much more than I was expecting!
Good to know, I'll have a ganders in the garden centre. Except for the broccoli. And cabbage. 
HiRich said:
In the meantime though, go pick up some lettuce seeds (something like Lollo Rosso - pretty red, tasty and quick growing) to sow around the two conifers. Unless the weather turns, you should get something in just a few weeks to keep you enthusiastic.
Will do, be nice to get started!HiRich said:
Then, a decent book - try Dr Hessayon's "The Vegetable & Herb Expert", cheap, easy to understand, readily available. Browse for a list of things you'd like to grow.
Way ahead of you, the girlfriend got it me a couple of weeks ago HiRich said:
The house wall looks very handy indeed. I presume you want the bins to remain there, and a question would be how important that path is. You might consider using the rest of the path space for a compost bin (Dalek type) and a water butt (if there's a drain pipe).
Unfortunately the house is rented so don't want to be making massive changes. The bins can move and have thought of popping a water butt in the corner out of shot bottom-right if I saw one going cheap. No outside tap so would be damn handy. HiRich said:
Options might be:
The staging idea along the wall sounds damn good, mainly like you say for starting seeds off under cover.- Lift the slabs and put in a raised bed.
- Build a freestanding structure, Perhaps a shelf/underspace storage, then a deep (18") planting trough above. Good for "big" plants like spuds.
- Staging: a series of shelves to put pots & troughs on. Good for herbs, chillies and other smaller plants. Buy or make. Some kits have clear covers (a mini greenhouse) so you can get plants going earlier. Or make your own with thin double-walled polyboard.
HiRich said:
Elsewhere, the curved wall also looks a good space for a few plants - tall and short. The confiers are a bit of a problem - fancy moving them?
Landlord might notice they're missing! HiRich said:
- There are also a few things you could put in now for over-winter - some onions, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli (if you're quick) and some cabbages.
For water butts try:
http://www.evengreener.com/Shop/Water_Saving_-_Gar...
who seem to supply most designs and do the council discout schemes. However, note that you need to cut into the guttering downpipe, so your landlord may want an input.
For staging:
http://www.garden4less.co.uk/mini-greenhouse.asp
gives an idea of what I'm talking about. But if you're handy with a saw you might make up a custom design for both size and shelf height
http://www.evengreener.com/Shop/Water_Saving_-_Gar...
who seem to supply most designs and do the council discout schemes. However, note that you need to cut into the guttering downpipe, so your landlord may want an input.
For staging:
http://www.garden4less.co.uk/mini-greenhouse.asp
gives an idea of what I'm talking about. But if you're handy with a saw you might make up a custom design for both size and shelf height
If rented, and with crap soil, try some tyre stacks for potatoes, carrots and parsnips.
For spuds, get some seed potatoes, leave them on the windowsill until covered in sprouts, then put six into a half-filled tyre, and cover with soil. When the shoots are 6" high, put another tyre on top and fill with soil. Keep doing this until 5-6 tyres high. Last year I got 30kg out of one stack of tyres.
Carrots/parsnips, just a stack 4 high, seeds, cover until decent sized leaves, and water.
When the season is done you can then spread the soil in flowerbeds to help the soil there.
Tyres can be obtained for free from a lot of places, and seeing as your a petrolhead you shouldn't mind the look! (Maybe paint them red and white for the pitlane look!
For spuds, get some seed potatoes, leave them on the windowsill until covered in sprouts, then put six into a half-filled tyre, and cover with soil. When the shoots are 6" high, put another tyre on top and fill with soil. Keep doing this until 5-6 tyres high. Last year I got 30kg out of one stack of tyres.
Carrots/parsnips, just a stack 4 high, seeds, cover until decent sized leaves, and water.
When the season is done you can then spread the soil in flowerbeds to help the soil there.
Tyres can be obtained for free from a lot of places, and seeing as your a petrolhead you shouldn't mind the look! (Maybe paint them red and white for the pitlane look!
beejay said:
HiRich said:
- There are also a few things you could put in now for over-winter - some onions, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli (if you're quick) and some cabbages.
I'd also recommend, that in addition to the water butt, you get a wormery. Not only does it produce a wonderful compost, it's also a great way to get rid of kitchen waste (particularly all those vegetable peelings from all the veg you're going to be growing).
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