Oh Help! Help! Help!

[ancee]

So, we FINALLY got a garden! The council came and with a big digger removed years of previous tenants leftovers. We now have a 76ft long by 20ft wide bare patch of .... nothingness! No plants to salvage, no borders to edit, no previous layouts to play with. Just a vast empty space... So where do I begin? We need a decking area so this'll go by the house (huge scaffolding planks to be ordered and planed and stained). We need a shed, which'll go by the decked area after that we are at a bit of a loss... Allotment section to go infront of the fence at the end of the garden we think. But what to put where? Any ideas/layouts/helpful ideas will really be appreciated! It seemed like a great idea at the time, but our blank canvas has become rather daunting! Also any ideas for a tree for the front garden? Can't be fruiting as too many kids'll 'visit' us! Nancy

[veggiechicken]

How exciting! A completely blank canvas...
Start by deciding which part has the most sun - is any of the garden overshadowed by the house or trees?
Put your shed in the shade - you may need a greenhouse where the sun is!
You can mix and match your fruit bushes and some veg in with any other planting (flowers, shrubs) that you want.
And don't have a central path

[WendyC]

If you are having a lawn and flower beds think about the shape of the lawn rather than the shape of the beds some how it works better. Vegetable beds might need to be a more uniform shape to make planting etc easier.

[Two_Sheds]

Vegetable beds might need to be a more uniform shape to make planting etc easier.

I disagree

Make your veg beds beautiful: they don't have to be in straight lines

Most veggies prefer full sun: so put them in the south or south-west facing positions

[marchogaeth]

I expect Zazz will be along soon to say cover it in cardboard and plant pumpkins! The serious point is that you don't want the weeds to take over while you are thinking about what to do, so do consider laying and weighting down cardboard to give you breathing space.

If you've also lost topsoil, it might be worth thinking about creating some lasagne beds or sowing a large area of green manure. This one can stay down for several years The Grass Seed Store Ltd and you can just bring bits of your space into cultivation as you are ready and in the meantime you will have a beautiful habitat to enjoy.

The usual advice is, literally a square metre at a time so it would be worth slowing the process down for yourselves. Hope this makes sense.

Croeso i'r Vine a pob lwc.

[Feral007]

I agree. Put some cardboard down. Then grab a glass of wine and plan where you're going to put things. Then what you're going to start with. If you fix it so the weeds can't take over while you're planning then you're way ahead.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Nice size plot! I'd start by having a soil sample analysed. Then, I'd look through catalogues on the web to get ideas of what to plant. Next, I'd add amendments and till the soil to get the ph,minerals,etc.in line for what you choose to grow. I noticed some of the big seed companies have been holding sales...maybe it's not to late to shop for some bargains! Review this forum, lots of good pointers here from Grapes who know how to get the most out of their veggie/fruit/flower plot. Good luck!

[ancee]

OOh! Pointers on how to get the most out of stuff = much needed! Have so far, right at the very bottom put in a pathetic specimen of rhubarb and some strawberry plants. Am enticing a bramble through the crack in the fence from next doors garden as we love blackberries. Thinking of just mixing up fruit and veg and flowers have dug a small border along the bottom fence line. Put in some bedraggled lavender plants and a poppy has come out of nowhere, so she can stay! Want as least lawn as possible as dog'll only ruin it and grass is such high maintenance. Thinking of popping to car boot sale on sunday to see what's on offer flowering plant wise and have sent off for seed catalogues so I can drool my way through those! - Any companies better than others or they all about the same? Thanks very much for all your comments by the way guys

[WendyC]

I disagree

Make your veg beds beautiful: they don't have to be in straight lines

Most veggies prefer full sun: so put them in the south or south-west facing positions

Who said anything about straight lines, a circle is a regular shape!

[northepaul]

A good place to start is to think what you actually want to eat/look at? Write a list. Whats your favourite flowers - the ones you see and think, "wow I'd love to grow them!"
Or maybe watch Gardeners World, as sometimes they have some interesting layouts etc. Visit some gardens, they always give you ideas.