Hello everyone

[happygirlie]

Hi all,

I have recently moved house and I am lucky enough to have inherited a lovely garden complete with a good sized veg patch, a herb garden and a few large raised beds. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed gardening, but until now I have stuck to flowers except for a few ( not very successful attempts at container veg).

I am now inspired to have a serious attempt at growing my own, however I am a complete novice apart from memories of my late grandads allotment. I have subscribed to the grow your own mag and hope to get lots of tips and advice from you guys.

The veg plot is empty (double dug to 3 ft) and the one raised bed is full of strawberry plants and one has 3 varieties of asparagus and there is also what looks like 2 large rhubarb crowns. Apart from that its a blank canvas, its just where the heck to start!

[rustylady]

Hello Happygirl. Welcome to the Vine. I would be happy too if I had a garden like that.

First thing to do is decide what you want to grow (only try things that you like). Then if you need any help ask away - we're happy to help.

By the way, could you add your location (nearest town) to your profile as this helps a lot when giving advice.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Happygirlie

[happygirlie]

Than you for the welcome, I live in Wolverhampton

I would like to start with peas, potatoes, onions, beans and broccoli in the veg patch if there is enough space

Tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, salad leaves / lettuce.

I want to keep the strawberries, asparagus and rhubarb and hopefully plant an apple and pear tree.

[chris]

Welcome to the forum! Sounds amazing, wish I had bough a house with a garden pretty much ready to go!

[happygirlie]

Thanks for your replies, I have been devouring info all day!

To be honest Chris, I bought the garden lol, a bungalow just happened to come with it! It was the garden that I fell I love with.

[lottie dolly]

welcome HG,i can feel your joy,toms can be grown in flower buckets(got from supermarkets when they sold the flowers,some charge a small amout,our asdas give them away,best time is mothers day sat or sun,)it's supprising what you can grow in containers,just means more watering,there is a thread on here,just for this,all the best with your growing,just ask away anything you want to know,

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

[veggiechicken]

Hello happygirlie (love the name!) and welcome. Glad you have your priorities right - garden more important than house!

[Sheneval]

Hi welcome and enjoy

[Newton]

Hi happygirlie. Welcome to the madhouse. Stick around for a while and learn and have a good chat along the way......the mag is excellent isn't it?

[Two_Sheds]

I live in Wolverhampton

If you put that in your profile (edit your profile) it will show up in every post

I would like to start with peas, potatoes, onions, beans and broccoli in the veg patch if there is enough space

do a squared up plan on paper. Make sure you mark north (taller crops are to be planted at the north end, so they don't shade out shorter plants.

Broccoli: do you mean purple sprouted (a winter crop) or do you mean calabrese? (the green stuff that's sold as broccoli in the shops).

Potatoes take up a lot of room, but are pretty easy. Look up the superb thread Potatoes Made Easy for good advice which I won't repeat here.

Beans: do you want all of them? Broad, runner, French, borlotti, kidney, butter, soya? Mark on your plan where they will go. Wigwams (climbing varieties) will give you a better return for the space.

Tomatoes, cucumbers,

These would do better in a greenhouse: tomatoes tend to catch blight outside. Cucumbers, you'd need to buy an outdoor variety of seed if you wanted them in the garden.

spring onions, salad leaves / lettuce.

Can be slotted in gaps between other crops

[happygirlie]

Thanks for the welcomes

Two sheds that is good advice - re a plan and which is North, the garden gets the sun virtually all day, its sort of South/SouthWest facing.

Calbrese - not purple sprouting (although I do love that too)

Potatoes - I would like to start with the jersey Royal types and was thinking of putting them in Potato Bags (are these any good)?

Beans - Runners and French

Tomatos and Cucumbers etc. will be in the greenhouse.

I guess what I am having most trouble with is how many plants for a certain size area.

[veg man]

Hi and welcome to the vine

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello and a belated welcome.

We too once bought a house because of the garden. Well, OH thought it was for the workshop, silly boy.

I have never had any success with potato bags, either here or back in the UK, but I know others have.

Your aspect sounds perfect both for gardening and sitting out in the evening admiring your hard work!

Don't forget to think about planting things that mature over time. I fell into the trap of only doing a single sowing of things like french beans, so having loads for a fortnight and then that was it! Things like that I sow about once every month so can eat them, freeze them and pickle them.

Have fun and ask, ask, ask...