Hi all

John H · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 8:35 am Post subject: Hi all

Hi all,

I have just found this site and I'd say it could be a gem to keep. I moved into a new house in 2006 and at the moment I have a blank canvas. When we moved in I sowed grass every where just to keep it under control.

In the past I had a few bad experiences with veg and plants, so hopefully this time armed with this forum I can make it work.

Anyway hello all and I must go and get some sort of a plan together

see ya later

John H

birdie · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 9:01 am Post subject:

Hello there John H. nice to have you onboard. Good crowd on here who are very giving. Smile

jimmy mac · Rank attained: Hawthorn Tree Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 82

Hi John heres to you creating a showpiece Laughing

Lucyloo · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 18 Jan 2009 Posts: 49

Hi John welcome to the forum, Ive got some great tips already from this site and some great advise.

John H · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone, I hope I can pick some brain in the near future. It seem like a nice easy going forum. Just a quick question is it too late in the year to start a veg garden from scratch?

Probably a stupid question, but I'm a pure novice. Embarassed

Thanks in advance.

Iain · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 2:33 pm Post subject:

Em I hope not, since I've still only gotten around to digging a bit of one so far. Although I have potatoes chitted and sweetcorn growing in trays so I guess that gives me a head start.

In a new house myself and have a blank canvas of over an acre so while it's a bit daunting, it also gives me plenty of room for mistakes! Smile

Iain

Garlicbreath · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 3:52 pm Post subject:

I started my veg plot two years ago at around this time of year. I got loads of salad leaves from about the end of June - the cut-and-come-again variety, baby carrots, radishes, lots of herbs. I also got a fantastic late harvest of runner beans from a July sowing. So, it's never too late to start. My advice would be to not be too ambitious this year and try to do too much. Grow what you can, make copious notes about what worked well and what not so well and have fun planning for next year Laughing

John H · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:55 am Post subject:

Like Iain I have a large site to, it is hard to know where to start. But in the first year I sowed grass, second year I planted a beech hedge all around the site (probably not the most adventuress of hedging but it was the only one i sort of knew) and in the third year a couple of pear, apple and plum trees ( how it transformed the garden something over 2 foot high Laughing

).

This year the kids had me build a tree house even though there is no trees.

On a big site the work you do doesn't make a big impact so I think you have to be patient.

Does any one have a handy way of keeping it clean around the base of the hedging as I can't put down the pellets until they are 2 years planted so I was told.

Sive · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:27 am Post subject:

You can use some of your grass clippings as a mulch along the base of your hedge.... this will suppress the weeds.
And don't sound so apologetic about choosing beech (!)....it will make a really beautiful hedge.

John H · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

Thanks Sive, I have being doing that but there isn't enough to go round. Now I am mulching the grass back in to the lawn.

If there is any other way it would be good to know, as the weeds seem to be growing as fast as I am pulling them Sad