Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla, do you have car boot sales around your way? The reason I ask is that the season for the booters really starts at Easter and you can usually turn up garden tools there. Mattocks will probably have to be sourced new as they're not commonly used in the UK for some reason, and thus are rarer than hen's teeth secondhand. Most of my tools come from bootsales, a few are family hand-me-downs, my wicked hoe and both rakes cost £1 each and the spade and fork were £5 each.

My must haves would be; a digging fork and a spade, with handles of a length scaled to your leg length, as too big or too small will be tiring to use. If most of your gardening is to be in confined areas such as flower borders, the so-called border fork and spade (smaller and daintier) might be better.

Then I'd add a landscaping rake, that's just the bogstandard kind with shortish straight tines, and a lawn (aka sprung-tined) rake. Hoes are usually the Dutch hoe or the swan-necked hoe. The first you work in a forward direction, pushing the hoe away from you, the second you work backing yourself up. Which one is preferred seems to be determined by which one you are accustomed to using, I grew up with the swan-necked draw hoes and can't abide the Dutch hoe. I also have a builders shovel, £1 from the bootfair, very battered but useful for moving manure around. I have a pair of grass shears which I bought new on sale and they get a lot of use clipping the grass paths and the grass which comes over from the derelict plots next door, much better than trying to use hedging shears for the purpose.

I'd also add a decent quality stainless steel hand fork and trowel set, with wooden handles. These will get a lot of use and take a pounding and its a false economy to buy cheapies from £1 or similar.

Re planting, I am very much a fan on the marigold family and the set seed copiously and you'll only ever have to buy the one packet. They are beloved of insects and are very good all round. I have the English marigold (calendula) in yellow and orange taken from seeds from Nan's garden. It it all over the allotment and I only remove it from inconvenient places, otherwise I let it be.

When looking at sowing seeds, watch the bare soil in the garden. When you see tiny green dots of seedlings coming up, you know the annual weed seeds have germinated and the soil is warm enough to sow flower and veggie seeds. It's a much more reliable indicator than reading books and seed packets to get the dates. Lots of stuff doesn't need to go in until April or even May.

Re the area where the nettles are. Nettles love nitrogen rich ground, which is why some people won't use chicken manure as it is so rich it encourages nettles. The plot next to mine was used for years to keep chickens and the area at the top where the hut was is nettle central to this day. The soil will be very fertile but the nettles will keep on coming unless you dig up the roots, which are plentiful, stringy, yellow and even smell nettle-y, IYSWIM. If you want them gone, dig 'em up. If you don't mind leaving a clump of them, they are very good for insects esp butterflies to feed and lay their eggs for their caterpillars to feed on.

A wheelbarrow is useful but not essential, but things like containers to tote stuff around, such as those trugs and some buckets are very handy. I have 2 huge bright pink rubber tubs which are in constant use and are so lairy that there's no way I'd ever forget to put them away in the shed. They were a gift, never had them before, but now I'd cry if you tried to take them off me...........:rotfl:

Oh, I'm so excited for you, with a new garden to make, all the very best of luck, and have a fabulous time.

We have cut & come again lettuce growing in tray on the kitchen window sill, also mustard & cress.
I've still not managed any of my own sewing but I am keeping up with my paid for sewing jobs, I just have one outstanding as I'm waiting for a delivery of hook & bar fastening.
I have my 7 year old DGD visiting this weekend, she has a list of sewing projects she wants to make so we'll keep busy, lol.

As we've all said before, Meritaten, they knew how to make things to last in the olden days!

Vhalla - if you can't find what tools you want at boot fairs or suchlike I've bought a border spade and a three pronged 'thingy' for getting the soil turned over lightly in Wilkinson's - they were cheap & I've been surprised at how long they've lasted. I would also add a good pair of secateurs - make sure they fit your hand as if they are too big for your grip they will be very uncomfortable to use - love to see piccy's of your progress