The teeny tiny growing space experiment.

wssla00

I have quite a big garden for around here but most of it is laid to lawn so I only want to use a part of it. So, adapting the square foot gardening idea and using some ideas I have seen in other gardens I am trying to look at ways of using as little space as possible to grow as much as possible.

I will upload my plans later but here is the crux of it.

I am having 6 100cmx40cm raised beds along the side of the garden (between this is some trees, some rose bushes and a massive lavender plant)
plus a 100x100 cm raised bed
I also have a flower bed which I am using for soft fruit and an apple tree at the end of the garden.
Finally, I am having made for me some specially made raised beds to grow sweet peas, beans and normal peas. Pretty thin at 15cm width but long at 71cm (I am planning on having three of these) so that I can sew one long line of seeds to grow up invisible wire to make a living fence.
So I'm wondering if anyone would like to join the small growing experiment? Maybe you have a balcony or a small back garden or even some windowsills (I'm growing christmas tomatoes on mine at the mo) and we can share our small patch experiments.

wssla00

OK here are the pictures of my plans. Sorry about the light!





I have found a plant spacing guide too which should help in planning the space you can see it here http://journeytoforever.org/garden_space.html

Orange_King

Christmas Tomatos??? Never heard of these!

I'd like to take part having some small patches to work in. At the moment I just have some Christmas spuds, leeks and sprouts on the go so very interested in hearing what else could be started.

Really like the idea of the thin lines of raised beds too. I would like to try this with French beans next year and peas of course. Too many in a tub restricts the growth in my experience this year so may try this against various fences in the garden.

wssla00

The christmas tomatoes need to be a certain type- red robin seems to do the best and they need a lot of sun even when it's cold so I have put them in my south facing window.

I didn't have a lot of space for another three beds so the thin ones seem to be a good idea. The lady on ebay I spoke to is doing them for £7 so worth it. I am going to have three to start off with then perhaps another three to line the garden. One is for beans, one is for sweet peas and one is for normal peas (well normal and purple podded ones) so hopefully then should perform better than sticking them in a pot. I found the only ones that worked in pots were dwarf french beans. I will do these again next year but the climbers will go in the beds.

I saw a ladder allotment, but think I could make one of those for the herb area. It just looks like a big ladder where you can put plants on.

Hopefully it will mean I can have the best of both worlds- a more productive space and still grass and natural areas for the bumbles etc.

wssla00

OK. So I have received three of my raised beds and am waiting for another three to come in the post. One has been errected and now has the compost in. In that one is going to be my sun loving plants (as it gets the most sun in the whole garden) I am also going to plant some asparagus (SQFG says to plant four a SQ ft but I plan to just do two) and another plant of rhubarb. I have to say I am most surprised with my japenese onion seeds. I can't believe how lovely they look. I am going to now do those instead of spring onions as they seem to come along a lot quicker.
Going to sort them all out in the next couple of days (as soon as it stops raining.....) my christmas tomatoes are doing really well and have flowers on them. They look great as house plants too so a thumbs up already.

wssla00

Right I have done some research and have decided on one of the beds I am yet to use until the spring, I am going to do some lasagne gardening. Hopefully by the time I plant it up in the spring it should be lovely and ready to go. Basically I am going to put down three layers of newspaper, then a layer of grass clippings, a single layer or newspaper, some left over compost from the plant pots of this year, a layer of leaf mould from last year, another single layer of newspaper followed by some fresh compost and topped with another single layer of newspaper. Hopefully it will mean I wont have to double dig, get rid of the weeds and get it ready and nutrient rich for next spring. Also, should mean that I don't have any need for LOADS of compost in this huge bed that's going in.

Fruball

Excellent - I will take part too

I am able to start preparing beds next week so lets hope its dry Want to get started before the ground gets too hard from cold.

wssla00

I know! I have been ready for the whole of this week HOWEVER..... it has been raining!!! I have now decided on all of the beds. I will upload some pics later.