new garden - deciding how to start!

ah-ha! the garden shed is also near the top of the garden, so that would make logical sense (of course, at the moment they are still scattered around the property since moving in, but we will have rain soon, so they will be put away)

The soil is poor throughout the garden, but could best be described as sand at the top of the garden (it's the "heathland" area that I mentioned?)

Probably brilliant for carrots, but not much else! The plus-side is that it's relatively easy to work. We had to put fence-posts in around the top gate, and the fencing spikes went in like into butter, until we came across the pipe-work... .

We have the materials to make a raised bed, and have brought about a 1/2 cubic metre of home-made compost from our previous house to fill it. Landlady was in a "huff" about what we'd done with the weed-infested garden we took over 7 years ago, so I felt no guilt in taking some of our compost. (We moved one of our Austin roses, but left the other 5 Austins and other roses, the azaleas, rhododendrons, champagne rhubarb, viburnum burkwoodii, lavenders, apple-mint, rosemary, marjoram, thymes, chives, garlic chives, hostas, honeysuckles... I could go on!) Her main complaint was that there was no ground elder when she lived there - over 20 years ago!!
Calm down Sian, and breathe ... and breathe ... breathe ...

Sorry - to say she got under my skin is an understatement. Not helped by her assumption that I don't understand German, as she ranted to her husband in front of me...

Anyway, making a raised bed is probably the best solution for the soil, and will pay dividends in the long run! I'm sure it won't be on its own for too long!

 

Hi Sian. Looks like you have a good garden to start with, not overgrown and with some lovely trees around the border.
It might be worth reading this thread:How-do-you-cope-with-a-larger-garden.
I think your idea to put your veg plot at the top in raised beds is a good one.
I would also be inclined to terrace out the slopes. People always seem to have problems with them.(me included.) Perhaps you could incorporate the ponds there. Having several dropping into each other from the top terrace to the bottom.

 

A little progress: some fruit bushes are planted.
I had a shock when I saw the "soil" under the grass. It was basically pure sand!

 

It sounds like you were on a loser with your landlady whatever you did. It's a shame you had to leave all those plants behind, and the Azaleas and Rhodo's would probably have suffered on your new soil anyway. I have one Azalea in my garden, but that is sitting on the remains of a well rotted lawn mowings heap, which is the only reason for it surviving I think.

That soil is a lot sandier than mine and I thought I had problems. When planting new shrubs I mix compost in with the soil from the hole and add blood fish and bone fertiliser to help them along. Previous experience has taught me that they just starve to death otherwise, with next to no nutrients in the sandy soil. I planted a young Malus four years ago and it still hasn't put on any height, it's struggling. The soil being free draining too means they have to be kept watered during dry spells. Not that I get that many.

 

Interestingly, there are a number of rhodos and azaleas in the neighbouring gardens, and also a few blue hydrangeas... However, I have also seen a bush that is half pink, half blue, so I'm suspecting planting in pockets of ericacious compost ( grrrr - can never spell that word!)

Gulp! I added half home-made compost (mixed through so it made a sort of scone-like dough with the sand) and then filled around, also half-and-half, topping off with the sand-soil. Didn't think about adding B,F&B, or even pelleted chicken manure. I'll bear that in mind for subsequent plantings!

I can see I'll be having to ask lots of questions in the next few months and years. I've only ever gardened on clay or chalk+flint!

 

To mis-quote my favourite line from Calendar Girls:
"We're going to need considerably bigger [compost] bins!"

 

I'm making progress on the raised vegetable bed....


sand-pit anyone?

Fortunately, when we went to build our "considerably bigger compost bins", we were delighted to find an old, large, compost pile. My gym membership is postponed another week, after carrying compost up the slope to the raised bed [note to self - must buy wheelbarrow]

it's even starting to look like a raised bed!!

 

It's coming on well Sian and what a difference the compost has made!

 

ty Sheal!
Yesterday after work I went and bought a wheelbarrow (when did they become so expensive?!), and barrowed 10 loads up into the bed. Another 10-15 loads ought to do it :-). Last night my arms and back were sooo tired, but I sorted through my seeds whilst waiting for the bread for tea to cook. I've found a few that can be sown this late into the season, and I'm ordering some broad beans from Chiltern seeds later today. Sooo excited to be this close to sowing my first row of veg!

 

initial "fill" of compost done. I'm sure I'll be needing to top up a few times, as it settles down over the winter.

Yes, those are 4 plant labels . I went through my seeds, and found some that can be sown late in the season - it doesn't matter if they don't come to anything, as they are old seeds, and there's not much else going on in the bed until Spring. I've sown Holland veldsla (sort of lambs lettuce, I think - v popular here), radish, pak choi, and blonde dunsel - a cut-and-come-again frilly lettuce. I'll probably put my cold frame over half of the rows, so some are in "open" and some "sheltered".

 

Fingers crossed that they come up Sian.

 

Broad bean seeds ordered, delivered and sown, Sirrrr!

 

We bought a couple of fruit trees yesterday - a Reine Claude Crottee and an Altesse Double (a greengage and a eating purple plum), along with a nice strong-looking blackcurrant "Nero" (can't find any info on this variety, but you see it everywhere here, and none of the "Ben" series), and a double philadelphus.

I guess this afternoon will be spent digging holes, and filling them in again!!

 

The 2 fruit trees, blackcurrant bush and philadelphus are planted, and an overgrown area in front of the patio cleared, and Burned ("Wah-ha-ha-ha!!!") - a good afternoon's team-work.
Photos to follow tomorrow - tonight we need to relax with a beer, and some supper.