First ever garden - planning help

Hi All,


I am currently buying my first home in Stoke-on-Trent which has a lovely big garden (for a town and coming from someone who has always rented flats! Must be 25-30m long). Over the last six months or so I have been getting very Green-minded, and after the joy of visiting my parents allotment a couple of times and de-weeding/ watering it for free from the water butt (which was an absolute treat - simple pleasures eh) I would really love to turn my garden into a productive one.

I would be really grateful if anyone could have a look at my plan and see if I am barking up the right tree - any constructive feedback warmly received!

My rough plan is that I want to be as economical and natural as possible. I have been absorbing info from the Strawbridges and Monty Don etc. A friend is selling an 8x6' greenhouse which I am going to buy, and the idea of multiple beds for rotation seems wise. I'd love to have a few chickens for eggs, I like the idea of a pond to attract wildlife, and also intend to be planting wild/seasonal mixes for the bees, an using combination planting to help minimise pests. As it is a garden I would still like to keep a small area of lawn for a table and chairs, BBQ etc, and have a little space to sit on the grass.

I would also be grateful if anyone can offer advice on how to turn the lawned garden in to vegetable plots. I have come across different methods - permaculture no-dig policies, raised beds, digging up turf and composting, completely mulching over... really don't know which is best to get your plots up and running. Obviously some raised beds might be necessary depending on the soil type (I won't find that out until I move in!). As I will be moving in in 6-8 weeks I guess time is on my side to get it sorted if slow and steady methods are ideal. My parents will be able to help me sort the garden, and my step-dad being a carpenter is a treat for building sheds/ chicken barns.

I have uploaded a picture of the garden in its current state and a picture of my plan. Note that the shed in the top of the picture is not the end of the garden, there are a couple of metres behind it.

FYI - the house is at the bottom of the page, and the garden faces west.


Thanks in advance,


Richard

 

Wow you're trying to pack a lot of things into the garden space! (saying that, so am i!)
I think the beds are a nice idea. i'd have the water butt outside the greenhouse, it's taking up valuable greenhouse space! Just make bed2 smaller.
Is that to scale? The drawing?
Where would you start?
Also, the pond is a nice idea, but it look's very small

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

 

Very good posting there by John
I used to have raised beds to grow veg, 8' x 4' x 8". I did exactly as John suggests. I found I got some great crops, really surprised myself. I found them very easy to manage, very few weeds. The only thing is, you would need access to both sides, a bit difficult up against the greenhouse. Also. any wider than 4ft and you would struggle to reach the centre from any given side, worth bearing in mind.
Cheers...Freddy.

 

I would definitely back up JWK there with the comment on comfrey, the bocking 14 is super stuff for feeding just about everything, perhaps half and half with the nettles?

 

Thank you for the replies so far, will digest it all next week as away for the weekend. But just a quick response to some of the questions (too excited to wait and not check the thread):

I hear nettles are great for ladybird pest control and that it makes great beer.

The plan is not to scale, but I was hoping to have a rough idea even if tweaking needed.

The water butt inside was for a heat sink, it seems water is the ticket for this for winter growing, does anyone have any practical advice on the necessities of a heat sink? I have seen videos on how to dig a heat sink and even a simple fan circulation system to take the edge off at max and min heat. Also it's right there for watering too?

Thanks all

 

So I've gone through that thread and had a look around on the internet, I think a heat sink is a marvellous idea -specially free solar energy power - but I have decided it's most likely more costly and carbon intensive to set up a battery and solar panel. As for the water butt it's likely taking up more room than it's worth too. So I think if I want to keep the chill off a little heater is probably the best way, but happy to play things by ear and adjust going forward as necessary.

Thanks