introducing myself

[spikejack]

hi there, my name is karl and the ripe old age of 44. the wife and myself have just moved into a new house so looking on this site for any ideas and information, we have a very big garden but alas most of it is flagged, we still have plenty of borders to fill. any ideas would be welcome. the wife fancies some fruit trees so had better leave now and find out info about them

[veg4681]

Welcome to the vine. You're lucky you have large enough garden to grow veggies and fruit trees. Plenty of choices there, enjoy the forum.

[HeyWayne]

Welcome aboard Karl, good luck with your endeavours!

[carlseawolf]

hello and welcome to the vine

[terrier]

Hi Carl, welcome to the forum.With all those flags it seems to me you either grow in containers or lift the flags and use them as the sides for raised veg beds.

[Seahorse]

Hello and welcome Lots of places like Wilko, Woolworths, B&Q, Homebase etc have cheap fruit bushes at the mo. If you live near either, also check out Lidl and Aldi for their special offers. The bushes may not be as good or as mature as ones from specialist garden centres but they often start from 99p, which can be quite a saving.

If you end up as addicted as the rest of us, you'll be out there levering up the flags for more space in no time!

[jeannine]

Hello and welcome!

Even if most of your garden is flagged you can grow loads of plants (including fruit trees) in containers, and you'll have the joy of being able to take them with you if you move again.

The main thing to bear in mind if you're growing in containers is to get the biggest ones you possibly can and then watering isn't such a hassle.

What kind of fruit and veg do you most enjoy eating?

A good starting point is to grow things that you really enjoy eating - most things taste even better when they are just-picked. For example, we've got a peach tree in a tub and it's really pretty, but best of all the just-picked fruit are more succulent than anything you'd buy in the shops.

If you post a wish list of the things you'd like to try growing on here, you can get advice on varieties you might like to choose, where to buy them, how to grow them and even how to cook them.

You've chosen the perfect time of year to start - best of luck with it and hope you really enjoy it!!!

[jeannine]

PS Aldi are selling fruit trees for �3.99 from 21st Feb. A good place to look for more unusual fruit trees is Ken Muir.

[Snadger]

Hello Karl and welcome to the vine!

[gardenplot]

Hi Karl welcome and good luck with your new garden, i have started a veggie plot this year in my garden.

[Hans Mum]

welcome from me too, you can grow loads in containers or pots this year until you can plan what you really want to do with the garden, might save some backache later:rolleyes

[Nicos]

Hello from me ...and welcome to the Vine!

[pigletwillie]

Welcome Karl, and you good wife of course. Enjoy the vine.

[pjh75]

What does flagged mean? Is that a silly question?!... everyone else seems to know.

Welcome to the vine. I haven't been here long, but the info on here is brill.

pjh

[Flummery]

Paved with flagstones. We used to call them flags in Manchester. The first thing I did when we moved here 8 years ago was life a few of the flags on the patio for a 'by the kitchen door' herb garden. You can probably sell them off too! Good luck and welcome.

PS - just noticed you're from Manchester too - I'm an exile!