In article
,
Billy Rose wrote:

In article ,
dco_uk wrote:

hi all,
i have just stumbled across this forum in my attempt to sort out my
'gardern / jungle'

basically, my garden has been untouched by me since i moved in to the
house 3 years ago and probably wasnt tended by the previous owner for a
long time either.

The area is only small (maybe 5 x 4 metres) but is completely covered
in weeds / stalks / flowery things!
i want to start fresh, but dont know where to start.

i would like some advice on where to start, what tools i will need, how
to get rid of the weeds once they are cut down (skip / shredder etc),
wil i need weed killer.

i have tried to attatch a picture but it keeps saying upload failed.

thanks in advance
ian

Go to the library and get a book on garden soil, see if they can get
"Teaming with Microbes" by by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis and, How to
Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons so that you will have an
understanding of your plants environment. You have about 220 sq. ft. of
garden space. Stick a shovel in it and see what kind of soil you got. If
it is lots of clay you will want to add sand. If it is sandy, you will
want to add lots of clay. I'd say, till in your amendments now (bone
meal, manure, clay and/or sand) and cover it all with card board or
several sheets of newspaper. Leave any nice looking flowers because it
is going to look like hell until you plant next year.

I suppose you could get a winter crop in this year but that's a lot of
preparation, and planting. Each plant is going to have it's own set of
needs and you can use the time between now and spring to sort out what
you want to plant. Be aware of plant size (don't want to shade out the
plant to the north. Corn takes a lot of space for not much return (in
weight). Melons need lots of space, ect. If you get snow, you will want
to learn about row covers or green houses. But if you have lots of time
and can't wait to get your hands dirty, go for it.

Actually, you could cover the cardboard/newspaper with mulch and put out
a couple of potted plants and have a nice olloking area until you plant.

--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/