HELP! Just starting out... (again)

[Mantha81]

Hi All,

I'm back after 2 years away, I can't believe it's been sooooooo long!

I have just had my garden landscaped, although that is probably too grand a term. Definitely, though, I have a much improved garden area where I am able to enjoy being outside, grow veggies and the most important thing is to be able to let my 2 year old out to play.

But this is all about veggies, so I'll crack on. I now have a complete area dedicated to growing my veggies, but we're now in May, soon touching June. The veggie patch is about 2 fence panels². A generous layer of top soil, but on top of sand.

I have a poly greenhouse

My questions are thus: What can I plant now, if any? Should I just wait until next year and prepare the ground for now? What would be the best way to cut it into quarters to allow a good crop rotation plan and would not having any physical barrier between the quarters, if there is a break out of say carrot fly, would it not just spread to the other quarters and I wouldn't be able to grow carrots for years e.g.?

I have the excited, oh I just can't wait, kind of feeling but I want to try and do things as sensibly as possible. Although, if any kind person does answer my post please bear in mind that I will need a project that will allow my excitement out!

ALSO, any one got any ideas of planting, plants/shrugs/flowers etc to help the garden look like a garden but will also help to encourage wildlife, bugs, butterflies, bees and help with companion planting?

So great to be back!

Please view my photo's of my landscaping thus far in My Albums but attached are a couple

[rustylady]

It's not too late at all Mantha. Beans (french and runners) can be sown outside now, so can squash and sweetcorn. You would probably be better starting them off indoors or in the greenhouse and transplanting though.

Salad stuff (lettuce, radishes, beetroot) can all be sown now.

If you don't want the hassle of sowing seeds now is a good time to buy potted or plug plants to put in your veg patch.

Get planting - you have plenty of time to get some crops this year.

[WendyC]

Carrot fly only go to where carrots are. So there is no need to protect areas not growing carrots against carrot fly. No need for a barrier between areas as it is the soil, which presumably, your are not planning on moving that s important. Enjoy your new garden.

[mothhawk]

there's all sorts you can still sow now, in fact some things are better sown now. Later sown carrots often miss carrot fly completely, you can sow till the end of June, likewise peas, if you get a quick maturing type, which will be less prone to pea moth as that lays its eggs in pea flowers about now.

As RL says, saladings, beans, plus Florence fennel, spring onions, spinach, kale for winter, cabbages for winter, kohl rabi, swede, turnip, Chinese cabbage, all for late cropping.

if you'd rather buy plants, really any veg that's for sale now is ripe for planting out, leeks, beans, salads, root veg, toms, cucumber, squash, melon, pumpkin, peppers.

Check out this website: Seasonal Gardening - May in the vegetable garden

[Zenithtb]

That's a really nice renovation! I'd be proud of having done that!

EDIT: Yeah, go with plugs - instant "Ooh!" with minimal time. Next year you can do your own seeds as you have more 'dark winter nights' beforehand...

[mothhawk]

BTW, if that's a telegraph pole, I hope you're being paid rent for the land its on, otherwise tell BT to shift it off your property!

[Mantha81]

I know we can get rent, but we've been told it's no moee than £5 a year..... can we tell them to move it?

It really annoys me.

[Linzy]

Plenty of stuff you could be sowing now
peas
french and runner beans
carrots
kale
swiss chard
beetroot
lettuce
oriental greens
turnip tops
Loads more go for it, you could be tucking into some homegrown veg in just a few weeks