new garden/what to plant/veg etc

[minnie pal]

Not a great time to start building a garden or veggie patch.
What could i plant now, mid summer to produce either perennials or veg toward the end of summer/autumn.
Most veg i cannot eat but the following i can and interested to grow UP rather than along as my garden is weeny.
Potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, scallions, herbs
Finally is a 'box hedge' to cover ugly concrete raised bed front too high maintenance if not to good in health? also is this time of year a bad time to even consider starting this.
minnie pal

[slunney]

You can sow scallions, carrots and peas now for a crop in the autumn around sept. or oct, but don't leave it too much later, your a bit late for potatoes but it is possible to grow some varieties in big pots or potatoe planters for christmas if you sow in july or august, Mr. middletons garden shop have a selection available at the moment for christmas so talk to them maybe, your too late for onions this year but in the autumn you can plant garlic to grow over winter and be ready this time next year, you can also plant out some onion sets in the autumn to overwinter and produce an early crop next year. Lettuce will be fine to sow now for an autumn crop, and you might get a sowing of french beans in if you hurry for an end of summer early autumn crop. Good luck.

slunney
www.plot103.blogspot.com

[minnie pal]

thanks slunney for all that info, i will start experiementing straight away!!
xminnie pal

[Guns n Roses]

Homebase have fab hanging baskets complete with tomatoes for a fiver at the moment.

[Gail Quinlan]

Hi Minnie.

I'm no expert in such matters, but we've greatly expanded our veggie patch this year having moved in Spring 08. Most seeds would need to be put down May-June but I think some brassicas (cabbage/brussels) might be put down later. I would recommend the latter strongly if you want to grow high rather than lengthwise as they take up a fairly small space and seem very hardy. We cheated and got a tray of 10 small brussels plants and I think all have survived and are doing really well.

I planted out lettuce seeds just a week ago (two varieties) and these are already visible. They can definitely be harvested in August. Salads really cut down on your food bills, if that's an issue for you, and give great satisfaction as you can eat them at least once a day. If you like spinach I'd also strongly recommend it for 2010 as it's very hardy and just three or four plants can be harvested for weeks on end. It's really nutritious and is lovely steamed and put in a savoury tart or chopped up, and mixed with a bit of seasoing and cream and added to an omlette or saucepan of hot pasta.

Last but not least, invest in a good veggie growing book that explains how to plant and harvest different veggies. It'll be worth it!

Best of luck

Gail

[minnie pal]

Gail, thanks for going to the trouble of doing an extensive post for me. I have to 'delay' planting as a lot in the patch has to be sorted, neighbours say that their cottage gets flooded in winter, that is, the sitting room, so i shall have to spend some time working out drainage etc.
A good lump hammer on all the concrete might very well do the trick i feel!
Drainage looks poor here, even i can see that.
I will jot down your notes for future use, as too those of other posters here.
again thanks
xxminnie pal

[pretty polly]

to begin to grow food is not the best time right now. divide the bed in four so you have a rotation beginning. when you plant potatoes in one section then onions/garlic/scallions in another carrots in another and peas in the fourth one. you can cover with cardboard til you are ready to plant up next spring keeps the weeds at bay. the box hedge will be hard work also harbour miges that bite and are annoying. if you are artistic you could paint a lovely scene on the concerete front. otherwise you could ask an artistic friend, you could have no maintance flower picture on the ugly bit. plant bulbs in the autumn for spring and summer flowers they are reliable and come back yealy. if you have not got great health try getting to know local people who are intrested in back yard gardening, set up a co-op type partnership so you all could help one another. it takes the hard work out of it and you make fun as you share eachothers gardens and various get-togethers. in doing this you can club together to buy seeds and other various things you need

[minnie pal]

Hi thanks for your veggie ideas here. I am beginning to really 'look' at exactly the shape, where the sun hits and doesnt and some features i would like etc.
Also i feel veggies will give me incentive.

I was once an artist and my twin gave me a fantastic grinning face. it is going in the centre of the concrete raised bed and i have lots of broken crock both plain terracotta and ceramic glazed terracotta colour bits. i want to do an abstract compostion of mosaic around the 'sun' and then continue along with broken mirror of which i have a lot.
I wanted to paint the boundry trellis but feel i cannot, so thinking of putting up willow fencing and making little peep holes squares so that the neighbours and i can still converse, its good that we can, i dont want to block that out. this will hide the trellis i hate and also the concrete low boundry walls.
I also want a type of pegoda feature for my budda with mirrors on the back wall and facing that where the sun hits all the time put beautiful climbers which should reflect back onto buddha. I saw a fantastic sample in a 'patio book' that bowled me over and it was SO simple.
my garden seems to be taking second fiddle at present.

i am browsing the patio and container gardening books i got cheap everywhere.
What I REALLY WOULD LOVE is Old barrels the bigger the better, it advised not to use the made up versions in the gardening centres, i can understand why.
Anyone know of reclaim places for the oddities.
x and thanks everyone,
minnie pal