Gardening 101

[ReaganSomerset]

What would be a good way to start growing my own veg? I have a garden but have never successfully grown anything in my life, bar the odd science experiment in school! Are there some easy plants and should I get grow bags/pots?

The garden soil is quite thin and I think sandy but with lots of gravel and stones. Plants do sem to grow like wildfire there and there is a very fruitful established grapevine that was there when we moved in.

My garden is visited by lots of different bird species, some squirrels and a cheeky cat, if it makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can proffer.

I'd start with container/grow bags. Courgettes are very easy to grow in containers and tomatoes do ok in grow bags ( bit of a pain in super hot weather as the bags dry out).
Salad leaves and herbs.
When I had an allotment I always planted veg that we ate! sounds silly but lots of people plant vegetables that they don't actually like or eat regularly.

For a beginner grow bags are great. Start with salad plug plants and maybe some easy seeds in a contaimer. On thin soil herbs like thyme will grow, also nasturtiums. Their leaves taste of pepper. Also I would try potatoes grown or in a pile of tyres. A strawberry tower is also lovely, just be sure to put some netting over it other wise the birds will get them. or in my case the grandchildren.

Thank you both, that's very useful. I shall look into them. A few questions though:

Why and how would I grow potatoes in a tyre?
Also, what is a strawberry tower? Do I just tie it to a stake?
Finally, when do I need to get going with all of the above, would you say? Spring?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you in advance!

I've never grown potatoes in containers so can't help with the tyre suggestion. I've only grown them in the ground as a main crop or seasonal - small waxy summer spuds.I do know that people grown them in specific bins ( garden centres sell them )

I would really advise having a good read up on veg growing.

This is my go to vegetable growing bible.

www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/d-g-hessayon/the-vegetable-expert-expert-books/GOR000665107?keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAiAs8XiBRAGEiwAFyQ-eoNhxcPQERB_TFe3P7XSiZlKfLUSG_-aHk6bbLMyYT0N0Bup-BmPDBoCBWcQAvD_BwE

Strawberry tower -

www.apieceofrainbow.com/diy-strawberry-tower/

Herbs are always a great place to start as most are pretty hardy, last year after year, lots like gritty soil & fresh herbs make such a difference to your meals.
On the veg front I'd recommend tomatoes, snow peas, lettuce & radishes as easy growers if you like any of those. Microgreens like pea shoots are also a great place to start as you get to harvest them pretty quickly & they are delicious. I've grown all of these in pots but all (apart from the microgreens) could go in the ground too. I'd experiment and maybe plant some in the ground & some in pots to see what works best in your garden. If the soil isn't great for veg, start laying mulch like leaves, woodchips etc where you want to grow your veg (lots of mulch can be found for free) and they will start to improve your soil. It will take a few years to get amazing soil but it's worth starting now if you want to grow your own stuff long term. Good luck!

If you are going to start planting with seeds I really recommend Franchi Seeds.

Your soil sounds ideal for herbs, and shrubs like rosemary and lavender.

Thanks very much, I shall have a look for that book. The strawberry tower looks interesting too.

When should I be buying seeds?

Quite soon, most would be started off around March (indoors). If planting outside you would wait until it's a lot warmer, say May. It always gives precise instructions on the packet. In garden centres you can find "plugs" of young veg plants which you pop straight in your ground and they usually show results pretty quickly. These are great for beginners as some seeds can be hard to get going. However the sense of satisfaction you get from growing from seed is immense and of course it is the cheapest option. Seeds in garden centres can be quite expensive, I get most of mine from Wilko.

Thanks for the tips. I shall head to Lidl and Wilkos. Wish me luck!

You'll have to take some photos of your crop and post here!

Good luck!

Good idea! Gives me something to aim for.

Thank you!