Turning back garden into veg patch

[GinAndOnIt]

We've got quite a big space in the front garden which we're slowly clearing/transforming, and just a small garden out back.

We had planned a big veg patch out the front like next door but we're now thinking of turning the entire back lawn into the veg patch and keeping the front for the mature trees and borders. Is this a silly idea?

It's a raised grass area, with a small wall in front and a few steps going up to it in the middle from a small patio area. We have a table on the patio area, and don't use the grass area at all.

The back garden is also south facing, so does get the best sun. So I was thinking we could create a path (just a mown strip probably) from the steps to the back of the garden, and grow veg either side. Then it would be close to the kitchen too, which makes a lot of sense.

The only thing I'm worried about is what it will look like in winter - what do your veg plots look like? Will we just be looking at a big pile of soil for months?

I suppose that doesn't really matter, because we mostly have views of the front garden when we're sat inside, and we could pretty up the patio with pots or something maybe.

It just seems a bit extreme to dig up a whole lawn - would we be mad to do it?

Each collection includes:
50 Anemone St Brigit,
25 Crocus Ruby Giant,
50 Chionodoxa,
55 Brodiaea,
12 Fritillaria Meleagris
8 Narcissus Tete a Tete

Does sound like a bargain ,as shove says, dependant on p&p actual price. What you need to ask yourself - is the selection of flowers ones that you actually like and have you the time/energy to get them planted up in a suitable time frame ?

Having slept on it, I don't think I need them. These sorts of offers probably come every year don't they? So probably better to wait until next year once I've seen how things have grown and more space has been dug.

Yes, there are bulb offers each year, so if you're not sure then waiting isn't a bad plan! However, I would say that while 200 bulbs sounds like loads (and can feel like loads on your back when planting!), it actually fills surprisingly little of the garden! It's amazing how many you need. Of course, plants that are happy multiply up of their own accord year on year so three crocuses become a clump over time. Maybe next year, when you are more settled into your garden, it might be worth thinking about dropping some cash on a serious wholesale order - things come very much cheaper in bulk and you can get exactly the varieties you want.

I think that's a good idea shove, because I'll want to add some evergreen things in too, I imagine. And hopefully by that point, we will have gaps in the veg area for flowers, plus another border further up the front, so a bulk order would do well.

We don't really have the cash to be spending on the garden this year, and it's probably silly to buy any old thing on an offer just because it's on offer. Patience, and all that.

By next autumn, you will have a lot of space, and a lot more plants growing on ready to go in. It's amazing what you can do from seed/cuttings. It takes time and patience to grow things this way - and we live in a culture of instant gratification - but it is really cheap and you are rewarded by actually learning a whole range of skills. It's much more difficult to rear something from seed or cuttings than to buy it ready-formed. The fact that you've had so much success already means you're suited to this!

Ooops, I keep posting too soon this morning!! I meant to add - you will have a much clearer idea of what you want once you've been in the garden a year and have really looked at it with a creative eye over that time. (It's not being there, it's noticing things!) As the seasons change, you'll see gaps and opportunities that won't be visible now, because gardens change so much over a year. I think it must be a bit like organising a firework display: you have all your explodey things (technical term) set up in the right places before things start, but you're not going to bang them (another technical term) all at the same time

You are absolutely right about the instant gratification thing. Again, I think that's another thing that gardening programmes do - always planting up borders with lovely perfect plants in pots. Never a scraggly plant from the discount section to lovingly bring back to life, or seeds, or little cuttings! Grumble grumble grumble.

I am ridiculously sentimental, but what I already love about this garden is the history behind the plants. The cuttings I took from MIL's garden are plants she's grown from cuttings in DP's Grandfather's garden. It's so nice to have those memories attached to the plants. Our house is the same, in that all our furniture has been passed down to us and has a story behind each piece - so it makes sense for our garden to follow the same lead.

shove does such a good job at explaining. I think its wise to just do it bit by bit. And it is absolutely wonderful about the cuttings and such. My garden has such a lot my dear Dad gave me as cuttings, so its lovely to look at the very mature stuff now, and bring back memories of him helping me when I first planted up my garden.
Just a thought - its so easy now with digital cameras - why not take a picture once a week, over the next year, to catalogue progress. It will also help to maybe see where you need to plant things later on in the beds life, as a plan almost. It would give you the chance to look at it with a critical eye

That's a good idea bookbook. When I remember, I keep a garden diary with a few photos on my iPad, and a list of things to move, and a list of plants I see (say on GW) that I like (with photos). It all helps to keep track of things.

It is lovely to have cuttings like that Gin. When you need to buy plants, I believe that research shows that if you plant something small (&cheap) it catches up with the larger and more expensive plant really quickly so if you can have a bit of patience it pays off.

I meant to do weekly pictures this year, but ended up forgetting at about the 3rd week in January! (A pattern that spookily mirrors all other 35 of my new year's resolutions). I think I might start right now, though, because it's actually quite useful to have a record of where things are in autumn in the spring.

I did my entire garden with tiny plants and cuttings! I think larger things often sulk more when they are transplanted.

Yes, I love the way shove describes things :)

So with the photos, is it to see what times things colour or die back, and that kind of thing? I'm forever taking photos as I go (as you've seen!) so will try and make a gallery specifically for it. Would be nice to see the progress of the changes this year especially!

You guys are lovely.

I'm wrapped up in a blanket today, full of cold, so warmed by your kindness at just the right moment!

For me, the photos help with the whole question of where the hell things are, once they've died back. Also, colours and spaces - can be surprisingly hard to remember exactly what you've got otherwise. I can't recall for the life of me exactly where my Erythroniums are at the moment, for example, so I have a couple more bulbs to plant and I don't know where to put em!

Enjoy snuggling shove and keep well,( we are only being lovely back :))
I always mean to do photos, but don't . Mind you I still have quite a good visual idea overall, having had my garden for a long time. I think for you Gin it could help to show up gaps ( either in colour, interest, shape etc) as everything develops, and settle in.

Ah sorry you've got the dreaded lurgy shove - hope you are able to stay rested up.

I was keen to do a bit of digging today, but the ground is a bit hard after a stint of dry weather. I figure there will be very wet days to come, so I won't bother breaking my back when it will hopefully be a bit easier with softer ground.

Did a teeny tiny bit more digging and stuck the cyclamen in the ground. Plan for tomorrow is to dig more and get the sedum in, because I need to move it from where it currently is (the herb patch?!?)

definitely a good idea to plant gifts quickly! I think clay has the annoying thing of going from claggy to brick hard quickly, leaving a very small time frame for easy (ish) digging....

It was actually not as bad as I thought it would be yesterday book - and I've noticed the animals have been digging in the bare soil! I like to think they're helping by turning the soil over for me, just as long as they don't do it once it's planted up

Yes, my back can second what book says about there being a window for digging clay! We've had so little rainfall this year, though, that mine is still surprisingly dry. Even in the part of my garden that often remains claggy in midsummer, it's not that wet at all, and to quite a depth as well.

Is anyone else noticing a surprising number of ladybirds around? I know they become more visible this time of year as they move into hibernation, but there are LOADS here!

DP has been commenting about how dry the ground is this year. He managed a maize harvest without being knee deep in mud!

And YES to the ladybirds! I was thinking that just yesterday. There seem to be a lot hanging about on my roses, but am I right in thinking they eat aphids? Have seen a few around the front door too.

Speaking of roses, two of the rose plants have just started another bloom! How is that possible when it's nearly November, and they've just been moved around?! Not complaining though!

Been a bit naughty today and started planting when there's still some grass to be dug up. I'm too impatient to get going! Also had a chat to neighbour while planting, and she seemed really disappointed we're not getting rid of the pine tree :(

How are you feeling shove?

Hehe! I can never resist planting. I just love doing it!

With the roses, I think plants sometimes do strange things when moved! And climate change means they're getting a bit confused this time of year. I remember last year, loads of us had very strange things in flower in the autumn!

With the ladybirds, I'm not enough of an insect buff to know, but the ones I'm seeing are quite large and there are lots of black ones. I wonder if they are harlequins? If so, it's bad news for our native ladybirds (but also for aphids). I noticed Gary Lineker tweeted yesterday about being attacked by ladybirds, so it's not just us noticing!

Trees can be very divisive in gardens. I love my neighbours, but their two giant leylandii not so much!

I haven't seen so many ladybirds , so I am feeling envious! Must look out for them. (on a side note - there was a lovely little series of programmes on Radio 4 about invasive species - it included Japanese Knotweed, and Harlequin ladybirds- about 15 minutes long at 1.45 after the news, not so long ago)
Planting is addictive, and I am so impulsive, I would have been planting up too - just tell yourself they may as well be in there , instead of a new crop of weeds!
With any plant, I do believe that stress , in all its forms, tends to make things flower - almost as a desperate attempt to propagate itself.
I wonder if your neighbour was hoping it had gone, so they didn't have to clear up pine needles :)

Yes book I did think that's why she's disappointed, and I also wonder if it effects some of their soil too - I notice they don't have anything planted adjacent to the tree :(

Do you think I should get rid? There are other trees in the garden so I suppose it is selfish to keep one that is encroaching on their side a bit. But I like all the pine cones, and my old nanny kids who are much older now, love sitting in it chatting to me when I'm in the garden!

I didn't say an outright no when she asked if it was going - I said we were just going to concentrate on the out of control bushes first this winter and then we'll see.