Interesting results.

[Snadger]

This year I've planted ad-lib, planting small amounts of veg and flowes in little pockets. Once each pocket is cleared it is instantly filled with another dissimilar plant group.

Results this year have been encouraging and for various reasons I will continue this method into next year.
The close planting has meant no room for weeds so very little weeding. The pocket planting method has given me very lttle slug damage. My brassicas have never looked so good and are in the main healthy and free of holes from caterpillars etc. All the flowers have meant I have a multitude of bees and all my stuff gets pollinated.

I suppose all of the above could be put down to other factors but I don't believe so.

I HAVE got a few things wrong though, mainly not judging the eventual height and spread of plants and allowing smaller plants to get smothered. I will know better for next year though.

Geoff Hamilton (God rest his soul) certainly new a thing or three about gardening and even though he was not enamoured with allotments, I would like to think that mine is paying homage to his gardening expertise!

[zazen999]

It's a good method, isn't it?

I have found that my plants that I leave for seed saving though end up twice as big as I expected.....I have 4 beetroot planted in pairs and they have had to be cut back several times as they were starting to take over and smother the plants grown nearby....I put several garlic chives next to them and they are struggling to get light now.....only this afternoon the first beetroot seeds are started to go brown and I can't wait until I can get rid of them......esp as the garlic chives are just starting to throw up flower heads and I want to see the flowers this year.....

[Snadger]

..................esp as the garlic chives are just starting to throw up flower heads and I want to see the flowers this year.....

Garlic chive flowers are a gem not to be missed!

[zazen999]

I know......but neither are about 2000 beetroot seeds that you've been nursing for 18 months.......

[basketcase]

Pocket planting method?

Is this just 'blobbing' things (technical term ) around in the same bed in available spaces, or do you need to make physical additions/changes to the bed? (Like when you put boards round them to make raised beds)

[Snadger]

Pocket planting method?

Is this just 'blobbing' things (technical term ) around in the same bed in available spaces, or do you need to make physical additions/changes to the bed? (Like when you put boards round them to make raised beds)

If you get the chance to read or watch Geoff Hamiltons Ornamental Kitchen Garden, all will be revealed.
Your 'blobbing' sounds about right but it calls for quite a bit of planning i.e always having seedlings available to fill an area that has been recently harvested,planting dissimilar crops one after the other, no bare ground at any time, mucking between plantings if needed,mixing vegetables with flowers, being aware of heights and spread of plants. Sounds complicated I know but it isn't. It's organic, pleasing to the eye and productive.
I have raided beds layed out in a potager style at my allotment with each 4 foot X 12 foot bed filled with an assortment of veg and flowers.
Geoff's Kitchen garden was more akin to a cottage garden with veg planted in clumps ornamentally.
Basically mixing everything up as nature intended would do, rather than planting in rows.

[zazen999]

And sometimes, letting things go to seed and if the seed falls and germinates, just move it somewhere else. Also, taking into consideration that some things grow up, some down and some wide.....and everything has a season so slow growing stuff can be next to quick growing stuff as the quick stuff will be harvested long before the slow stuff......

[shirlthegirl43]

This sounds really interesting, you got any piccies to help us get the idea Snadger?

[basketcase]

This sounds really interesting, you got any piccies to help us get the idea Snadger?

Yes - sounds fun! Pictures very much appreciated. Though I can't always see them for some reason. I see Emails that say "There you go" and the rest's a blank space!

[Bluemchen]

I've tried planting in metre-square blocks this year. It is my take on the square-foot gardening principle, with close planting to supress weeds etc. My beds are 1m wide, and of varying lengths, and between the blocks there are flowers etc. On the whole, it has worked quite well, and looks really quite neat. I find it quite a good way to judge how much we're eating/ needing.
This is the first season I've actually had space to grow properly, so am still pretty new to it all.