complete novice please help!!

Hi, i've just moved into a new house and it has a massive garden! (2 green houses, 2 sheds and lots and lots of lawn!) the previous owners used it mainly as a vegetable garden, but I really dont know where to start. I'm planning on growing some veggies etc, what sort of things are good for a (COMPLETE) novice (my only experience is going a few potatoes when I was about 6! and also what sort of things could I grow in the greenhouse - my grandmas got tomatoes but I dont think I could eat that many!

 

hi newbie,
without seeing the layout, your description is a bit vague.
you want to decide what area has priority for the first year and get that sorted out, I would suggest the area most seen and used by the family.
next autumn is the time to start thinking of getting your veg plot sorted out

 

Well, my advice is for the first year do nothing except keep it tidy! You need the time to see what you've got in there, when it emerges and flowers, what of it you like and want to keep. Keep a diary and take lots of notes with dates.

In the meantime, get some books from the library, buy some if you can - the kind that list plants in months is good. Browse through them and pick out stuff you like and see what conditions they need, when they flower and other info like how big they grow (I really fell foul of that one!!)
Make lots of notes about that as well. Magazines like Amateur Gardener are helpful too.

Measure your garden and everything in it. Make a sketch of it and spend some time playing around drawing beds and stuff. Then make out a plan of when the books say the plants need to be bought/planted. Then next year, you can get your master plan into action. Start one area at a time - don't try to do it all in the first year!!!!

Then you have two approaches
1. if you are going to use seeds, plant them in trays or pots at the appropriate time then prepare the area and have it ready for when the seeds need planting out. See the books for that.
2. if you're going to buy plants, prepare the ground first then buy and plant.

Then come back to GC and report your successes!!
Good luck!