Show Us Your Veg Patch - You Know You Want To!! (Merged Thread)

MRSMCAWBER

Hi all

Doom N Gloom -we are limited to space -hence my Potio appotment
here are a couple of pictures from last year -before everything got going. This year I'm growing even more after adding arches and the like to the patio (will post pics when its all up and running) -mind its snowing today :eek:
Its amazing what you can squidge into the smalest gap :T

hathor

I've just looked up the details in Carol Klein's book. I was sure I remembered the RHS girls growing enough veg for the year in a small area.

They only had a plot 10ft x 10ft, and built 2 raised beds, one an L-shape filling 2 sides of the square, 4ft wide on the short sides, then a 2ft L-shaped path to allow access to the big bed, and a 4ft square smaller bed filling in the remaining part of the plot. With succession sowing, the yield they got off that was amazing.

Don't forget that with hardly any weeding to speak of, and a good depth of soil from a raised bed, you can plant things a bit closer than you would in a conventional plot, thus packing more in. If you've got the book, the layout is on P15.

Steel_2

MRSMCAWBER - your Potio appotment looks fantastic. You've just remined me I've got two metal rose arches I got in the Argos sale last year specifically for growng peas up them. I shall have to go and dig them out of the cupborad, although how I'm going to get them to stay up in the this wind I've no idea. Last year I found my shed door on my leek bed after it was ripped off it's hinges and thrown down the garden.

I'm thinking about giving the arches concrete boots and burying them in the soil

LOTUS-EATER I would agree with you about the advantages of a small plot. I have a huge garden and it's difficult to maintain and produce enough compost for every year. The weeds can get out of control extremely quickly and the amount of grass that goes in the compost heap can leave it evil and slimy. It's one of the reasons why I got the chickens so their bedding etc can go into the bins and try and balance everything up.

It doesn't help the previous owner used the garden like a tip and buried all of the waste from his building jobs under the lawn. There's just no way that some areas can ever be used for growing anything but couch grass now so I'm restricted to doing what I can with the fertile soil that's left at the end of the garden.

DOOM AND GLOOM - can you grow up? Can you put up planters and hanging baskets off any fence posts etc? Do you have anything you could press into use to grow vertically? I have a length of plastic sewer pipe I found which I'm cutting out small circles from so I can fill it full of soil and grow cut and come again salad leaves in. I'm going to brace it against a fence post and tie it in using wire and eyelet screws. Well, actually my husband is going to do that...I will supervise

Bebsie

Hello everyone :j

I've just spent over an hour looking at all your great photos and I am sooooo inspired BUT I have never grown anything in my life (except a baby lol). I dwouls like to start with one or two easy things to grow, can you guys give me some advice? Also, I like the idea of herbs.....

So my questions are:

1. What is "easy" grow?
2. What fruit or veg would I be able to plant this time of year?
3. What herbs can I grow this time of year?

Thanks and sorry to sound so thick

MRSMCAWBER

Thanks Steele

That was last year -this year I have got all sorts planned.. hubby has all bar finished the building of arches, coldframe and the like -now he just has strings to secure the arches to their tubs and the like to do -oh and humping n dumping compost
I have quite a few of those tubular bags for hanging on fences too -but I have to be carefull as 1 neighbour has a little lad and the other side a dog who will grab anything it can :rolleyes: -so the bottom fence may be invisible by the time Im done
Im hoping to use the brassica tent I have made to keep the butterflies off my greens -and then Im climbing cucumbers over it -which will provide shade too..
I think its a case of looking at things from every angle possible..so you can maximise the space you have.... although Im sure my hubby wishes I would stop coming up with these ideas that I expect him to construct :rotfl:

Doom_and_Gloom

Steel you have a point I can put loads of hanging baskets off of the fence. I’ve seen some good ones for very cheap which is good as I don‘t have much money. I’m already growing strawberries in a three tier flower tower and my partner will be buying me another one this year for tomatoes like minibel and tumbling tomatoes that are bush varieties. It’s a really good space saving device as you can grow basically 3 times as much in the same space :T . Hopefully me or someone else will come up with some more ideas to utilise the space. Any ideas are welcome. I have the right side right at the back of the garden that’s south facing. I’ve been out at 6am and by then most of it has sun on it! It has the sun on it until very late at night as well. Perfect growing area really :cool: .

I did grow a few things last year but started rather late and only had half of the ground plot due to that as that was all we could clear properly.

Lotus-eater I know what you are saying. My dad doesn't like having a big garden even though it used to be double the size :eek: due to the effort etc it takes to keep it in good condition. He would be able to give me a plot size about the same as the one I have now on the left side at the back easily right opposite the one he has given me. The reason he won't is due to not wanting the grass to be dug up! With most people with that attitude as I've said I wouldn't share the produce with them but I know I'm lucky that he gave what he did to me in the first place. If he gave it to me he'd still have more than enough room for whatever he want's to with the grass area left.

Hathor I am going to do as much vertical gardening that I can. I might buy a greenhouse staging tier and put it up against a wall to grow more. That might work to grow more but I’m not sure.

Bebsie don’t worry I’ve found growing vegetables etc relatively easy. I did do a few things when I was younger but then didn’t for years so was nearly the same as a beginner last year when I started up.
1. Tomatoes are rather easy to grow. I started a few on a windowsill before I started using the conservatory (much to my dads dismay lol) and they are growing rather well now. Herbs are rather easy also as well as cress. Cress must be THE easiest thin to grow.
2. This time of year is excellent to start growing. Carrots, beetroot, parsnips, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, courgette, marrow, peas, brussel sprouts, sweet corn and cauliflower are just some of what you can start in March!
3. I sowed all of my herbs just the other day (apart from my mint that lasted the winter!) and they should be fine.

Primrose

Bebsie - Lettuces & salad leaves are easy to grow. Just sprinkle a few seeds on a finely dug patch of earth in a sunny place and keep watered. When they're about 3 inches high, thin them out and replant them about five inches apart. Or sow some mixed salad leaves thinly the same way and keeping pulling off individual leaves as you want them.
Tomatoes are not too difficult. You will need a sunny position and a five foot pole to tie each one up against so they don't topple over as they grow taller and grow heavy with fruit. Pull out the side shoots as they appear. (they're the little shoots that form in the "V" between the main stem and the leaves. When fruit starts appearing, water weekly with a liquid Tomarite fertiliser. Don't plant outside until early June after frosts have ended.
Runner Beans if you like them: Plant outside early June. Stick in a 6 foot cane for each bean plant. Dig in some composted manure if possible before planting. The beans will grow and wind themselves up the canes so are easy maintenance. Just keep well watered.
Courgettes: Start off with one plant as each one needs about two square feet of space and well fertilised soil. Again, keep well watered and pick the courgettes when they're no longer than five inches long. Smaller ones are delicious raw in salads
Peppers can be grown in 8" pots. Plant out in June after frost has ended in a sunny position.
Don't be frightened to experiment. We all started as beginners and once you get the bug you'll be thrilled at the pleasure you get from growing your own. Come back and let us know how you get on. There are plenty of people on here to ask for advice. .

buddywitch

I got some FREE herbs this morning from the Daily Mirror and collected them from Somerfield.

Basil 150 seeds pkt
Parsley 400 seeds pkt (french plain leaved)
Mixed salad leaves 200 seeds pkt
Thyme 200 seeds pkt.

Bebsie

WOW thank you so much for the great advice, Easter weekend, here I come!!! I will keep you all informed

Lotus-eater

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

Lotus-eater I know what you are saying. My dad doesn't like having a big garden even though it used to be double the size :eek: due to the effort etc it takes to keep it in good condition. He would be able to give me a plot size about the same as the one I have now on the left side at the back easily right opposite the one he has given me. The reason he won't is due to not wanting the grass to be dug up! With most people with that attitude as I've said I wouldn't share the produce with them but I know I'm lucky that he gave what he did to me in the first place. If he gave it to me he'd still have more than enough room for whatever he want's to with the grass area left.

Tell him you want it as a christmas or birthday present and if it all goes wrong you will put it down to grass again. Besides he won't have to mow that bit will he?
If all else fails, do the little princess/Daddy bit, I presume you are a girl, sorry if you are not