Hi

After embarrassingly mis-posting this to uk.rec.cycling I'll try
again here

I'd like to grow a few fruit, veg, and herbs in my garden this year. I
live in a small terraced house and my small garden faces ENE. I think
alongside the left-hand fence would be the best area; the sun shines
there for the longest.

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what the
ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds? I presume I'll need to work in some compost or
other soil improvement matter. Can I use regular organic (peat free)
compost from a garden centre, or are there materials specifically for
improving soil? Can I dig the ground now?

I intend to grow tomatoes, courgettes and a several herbs (rosemary,
thyme, basil, parsley). I'd also like to grow runner beans and peas, if
possible. Can I plant all of these in the same area? I don't intend to
grow a huge amount of anything, just enough to make it worthwhile.

I'll start the tomatoes off indoors, then grow them on in the (small)
greenhouse that I have before planting them out finally. How does that
sound?

You might notice that I'm a complete beginner at this :~)

Thanks for any tips,

Mark

In article ,
Mark writes:
|
| After embarrassingly mis-posting this to uk.rec.cycling I'll try
| again here

A recycled posting?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Mark wrote in
.org:

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what
the ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds?


Difficult to say until you take the plastic off and look. With luck,
there is a gorgous loam beneath needing just a quick workover before
planting, but if you are unlucky, there might be a brick heap or an old
concrete slab, or solid rubbery clay with no topsoil at all.

Keep some of the gravel for your herb bed - the herbs you've mentioned
like light stony soil, particularly thyme and rosemary. Rosemary is
pretty tough, but thyme will really appreciate being dry sun, and pea
shingle is ideal for that. I would use it as a mulch for the herb bed,
as it will also make weeding easier.

Whatever you find under the shingle, you'll probably need to improve it,
but you need to know what's under there first.

Runner beans & peas are good in a garden that doesn't get that much sun
- as long as you can get them started well, they will go up the fence
and find the sun up there. I would dig in well-rotted manure (free from
a local stable if you can find one, or you can buy bags at garden
centres) to get them shooting sky-high.

Unless you don't like it, I also suggest you consider rhubarb. It's
incredibly easy to grow, and is one of the few food plants that will
florish with very little direct sun, so you can plonk it in a shady
corner, feed it some manure, and feast on the results for years to come.

In theory you are supposed to let it go a year after planting before you
take any stems off it. I personally don't think this is necessary if
planted with a big pile of compost and manure to get it started: at any
rate I ate mine (variety Victoria!) and it just grew faster.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

Mark wrote in
.org:

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what
the ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds?


Difficult to say until you take the plastic off and look. With luck,
there is a gorgous loam beneath needing just a quick workover before
planting, but if you are unlucky, there might be a brick heap or an old
concrete slab, or solid rubbery clay with no topsoil at all.

Keep some of the gravel for your herb bed - the herbs you've mentioned
like light stony soil, particularly thyme and rosemary. Rosemary is
pretty tough, but thyme will really appreciate being dry sun, and pea
shingle is ideal for that. I would use it as a mulch for the herb bed,
as it will also make weeding easier.

Whatever you find under the shingle, you'll probably need to improve it,
but you need to know what's under there first.

Runner beans & peas are good in a garden that doesn't get that much sun
- as long as you can get them started well, they will go up the fence
and find the sun up there. I would dig in well-rotted manure (free from
a local stable if you can find one, or you can buy bags at garden
centres) to get them shooting sky-high.

Unless you don't like it, I also suggest you consider rhubarb. It's
incredibly easy to grow, and is one of the few food plants that will
florish with very little direct sun, so you can plonk it in a shady
corner, feed it some manure, and feast on the results for years to come.

In theory you are supposed to let it go a year after planting before you
take any stems off it. I personally don't think this is necessary if
planted with a big pile of compost and manure to get it started: at any
rate I ate mine (variety Victoria!) and it just grew faster.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

Mark wrote in
.org:

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what
the ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds?


Difficult to say until you take the plastic off and look. With luck,
there is a gorgous loam beneath needing just a quick workover before
planting, but if you are unlucky, there might be a brick heap or an old
concrete slab, or solid rubbery clay with no topsoil at all.

Keep some of the gravel for your herb bed - the herbs you've mentioned
like light stony soil, particularly thyme and rosemary. Rosemary is
pretty tough, but thyme will really appreciate being dry sun, and pea
shingle is ideal for that. I would use it as a mulch for the herb bed,
as it will also make weeding easier.

Whatever you find under the shingle, you'll probably need to improve it,
but you need to know what's under there first.

Runner beans & peas are good in a garden that doesn't get that much sun
- as long as you can get them started well, they will go up the fence
and find the sun up there. I would dig in well-rotted manure (free from
a local stable if you can find one, or you can buy bags at garden
centres) to get them shooting sky-high.

Unless you don't like it, I also suggest you consider rhubarb. It's
incredibly easy to grow, and is one of the few food plants that will
florish with very little direct sun, so you can plonk it in a shady
corner, feed it some manure, and feast on the results for years to come.

In theory you are supposed to let it go a year after planting before you
take any stems off it. I personally don't think this is necessary if
planted with a big pile of compost and manure to get it started: at any
rate I ate mine (variety Victoria!) and it just grew faster.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

Mark wrote in
.org:

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what
the ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds?


Difficult to say until you take the plastic off and look. With luck,
there is a gorgous loam beneath needing just a quick workover before
planting, but if you are unlucky, there might be a brick heap or an old
concrete slab, or solid rubbery clay with no topsoil at all.

Keep some of the gravel for your herb bed - the herbs you've mentioned
like light stony soil, particularly thyme and rosemary. Rosemary is
pretty tough, but thyme will really appreciate being dry sun, and pea
shingle is ideal for that. I would use it as a mulch for the herb bed,
as it will also make weeding easier.

Whatever you find under the shingle, you'll probably need to improve it,
but you need to know what's under there first.

Runner beans & peas are good in a garden that doesn't get that much sun
- as long as you can get them started well, they will go up the fence
and find the sun up there. I would dig in well-rotted manure (free from
a local stable if you can find one, or you can buy bags at garden
centres) to get them shooting sky-high.

Unless you don't like it, I also suggest you consider rhubarb. It's
incredibly easy to grow, and is one of the few food plants that will
florish with very little direct sun, so you can plonk it in a shady
corner, feed it some manure, and feast on the results for years to come.

In theory you are supposed to let it go a year after planting before you
take any stems off it. I personally don't think this is necessary if
planted with a big pile of compost and manure to get it started: at any
rate I ate mine (variety Victoria!) and it just grew faster.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Mark" wrote in message

I'd like to grow a few fruit, veg, and herbs in my garden this year. I
live in a small terraced house and my small garden faces ENE. I think
alongside the left-hand fence would be the best area; the sun shines
there for the longest.

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what the
ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds? I presume I'll need to work in some compost or
other soil improvement matter. Can I use regular organic (peat free)
compost from a garden centre, or are there materials specifically for
improving soil? Can I dig the ground now?

Depends what you find under the plastic, if the plastic is proper pourous
stuff you may be OK but if it's solid plastic sheeting the ground underneath
may have gone sour and anyway it may be hiding builders rubble. :-(

It will be expensive to dig in bags of compost so why not see if your local
Council compost the green waste, and if so, some give the resultant compost
out free to ratepayers.


I intend to grow tomatoes, courgettes and a several herbs (rosemary,
thyme, basil, parsley). I'd also like to grow runner beans and peas, if
possible. Can I plant all of these in the same area? I don't intend to
grow a huge amount of anything, just enough to make it worthwhile.

Keep the herbs in a seperate part of the garden to the rest, the Rosemary
and thyme will be there for years, they need as much sun as possible and a
well drained soil.

I'll start the tomatoes off indoors, then grow them on in the (small)
greenhouse that I have before planting them out finally. How does that
sound?

That's what we do every year, don't plant them too early because you can't
put them out in the garden until the end of May at the earliest.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"Mark" wrote in message

I'd like to grow a few fruit, veg, and herbs in my garden this year. I
live in a small terraced house and my small garden faces ENE. I think
alongside the left-hand fence would be the best area; the sun shines
there for the longest.

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what the
ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds? I presume I'll need to work in some compost or
other soil improvement matter. Can I use regular organic (peat free)
compost from a garden centre, or are there materials specifically for
improving soil? Can I dig the ground now?

Depends what you find under the plastic, if the plastic is proper pourous
stuff you may be OK but if it's solid plastic sheeting the ground underneath
may have gone sour and anyway it may be hiding builders rubble. :-(

It will be expensive to dig in bags of compost so why not see if your local
Council compost the green waste, and if so, some give the resultant compost
out free to ratepayers.


I intend to grow tomatoes, courgettes and a several herbs (rosemary,
thyme, basil, parsley). I'd also like to grow runner beans and peas, if
possible. Can I plant all of these in the same area? I don't intend to
grow a huge amount of anything, just enough to make it worthwhile.

Keep the herbs in a seperate part of the garden to the rest, the Rosemary
and thyme will be there for years, they need as much sun as possible and a
well drained soil.

I'll start the tomatoes off indoors, then grow them on in the (small)
greenhouse that I have before planting them out finally. How does that
sound?

That's what we do every year, don't plant them too early because you can't
put them out in the garden until the end of May at the earliest.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"Mark" wrote in message

I'd like to grow a few fruit, veg, and herbs in my garden this year. I
live in a small terraced house and my small garden faces ENE. I think
alongside the left-hand fence would be the best area; the sun shines
there for the longest.

The garden is currently 'peashingled', and I don't really know what the
ground beneath is like. There are certainly a lot of weeds in the
summer! Can I just remove the plastic and shingle, then dig the ground
over before sowing seeds? I presume I'll need to work in some compost or
other soil improvement matter. Can I use regular organic (peat free)
compost from a garden centre, or are there materials specifically for
improving soil? Can I dig the ground now?

Depends what you find under the plastic, if the plastic is proper pourous
stuff you may be OK but if it's solid plastic sheeting the ground underneath
may have gone sour and anyway it may be hiding builders rubble. :-(

It will be expensive to dig in bags of compost so why not see if your local
Council compost the green waste, and if so, some give the resultant compost
out free to ratepayers.


I intend to grow tomatoes, courgettes and a several herbs (rosemary,
thyme, basil, parsley). I'd also like to grow runner beans and peas, if
possible. Can I plant all of these in the same area? I don't intend to
grow a huge amount of anything, just enough to make it worthwhile.

Keep the herbs in a seperate part of the garden to the rest, the Rosemary
and thyme will be there for years, they need as much sun as possible and a
well drained soil.

I'll start the tomatoes off indoors, then grow them on in the (small)
greenhouse that I have before planting them out finally. How does that
sound?

That's what we do every year, don't plant them too early because you can't
put them out in the garden until the end of May at the earliest.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

In article ,
(Bob Hobden) wrote ABOUT tomatoes:

That's what we do every year, don't plant them too early because you
can't put them out in the garden until the end of May at the earliest.

Depends where he is and if he has/makes some cloches.

I planted mine out various sates between 21/4/03 and 7/5/03 under
cloches and had wonderful results.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

In article ,
(Bob Hobden) wrote ABOUT tomatoes:

That's what we do every year, don't plant them too early because you
can't put them out in the garden until the end of May at the earliest.

Depends where he is and if he has/makes some cloches.

I planted mine out various sates between 21/4/03 and 7/5/03 under
cloches and had wonderful results.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

On 8 Mar 2004 12:04:12 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Mark writes:
|
| After embarrassingly mis-posting this to uk.rec.cycling I'll try
| again here

A recycled posting?

:-)

a tandem posting even
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On 8 Mar 2004 12:04:12 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Mark writes:
|
| After embarrassingly mis-posting this to uk.rec.cycling I'll try
| again here

A recycled posting?

:-)

a tandem posting even
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad