29th March "Grow your own" newcomers welcome here

[TalkinPeece]

In light of lots of posts on lots of other threads I thought I'd start one for those who are looking at their gardens in a whole new light this spring.

Rule One of starting to grow your own
do not be over ambitious
A couple of growbags and pots at the start will give better results than trying to dig up the whole garden

Rule Two of starting to grow your own
grow stuff that will actually cope with your conditions
Look at where the sun shines on your garden at different times of day and what access to water you have

Rule three of starting to grow your own
grow what you will enjoy eating fresh from the garden
as the crops will be smaller but tastier

Rule Four of starting to grow your own
prepare to develop an obsession with the weather forecast

HOWEVER
Tomatoes against a wall of the house are easy in most of the UK
Herbs in small pots on windowsills are easy in most places
Lettuce / salad greens can work in pots, tubs or even hanging baskets
Spinach can be seeded soon and every few weeks from then on to keep you in greens for months
Baby carrots are quick fun and easy to grow in a tub
Beetroot ditto
Dwarf french beans later in the year are well worth growing even in a tiny garden

If we assume that the biggest newcomer plot is 2m by 1m (or 8 feet by 4 feet in old money)

How much yummy veg can Mumsnetters produce?

I'm spoilt, I have a conservatory, a greenhouse a polytunnel, 16 veg beds a flower garden and a woodland garden

You can really go off some posters. 😒

🤣

All joking aside, TalkinPeece, are you growing any edible flowers or things that can be grown in amongst flowers?

Care
Sorry !!!!
But it does mean I know what I'm talking about hopefully

TalkingPeece. Have caught up with your thread now and completely appreciate your intent. Indeed, feel a bit of a heel for raising my question. But it’s something I’ve wrestled with for months: I share your looming concern, have been considering home grown solutions since 2016 but just can’t get beyond pretty much knowing it would be a wasted effort where we live: it would all disappear overnight if things got ugly. I think to avoid despair at my fellow humans I’ll have to stick with a few peas and courgettes, which we’ll probably demolish before anyone else can get to them, and my flowers and herbs (which lots of people don’t recognise as edibles 😳).what a god-awful question to have to wrestle with though. Surreal.

I think it’s a good question to raise JRM and also wish there was a simple solution. I’m lucky enough to have an allotmrntnand there’s a big thing about not letting anyone have the gate code. Which is great but it would take 30 seconds to climb over the fence.

Been thinking about this and still think disguising things the best way. If you google edible landscapes it gives some ideas. I have ordered some Oca which have grown in the past, tastes like lemony new potatoes and harvested later in the year. Not many people would look at it and realise it’s an edible crop.

Rainbow chard looks great mixed in with things and you can eat the stems plus leaves, Rhubarb could look good as a structural plant in the middle of a border and like chard if someone hacks off a bit it will at least grow back. Perpetual Spinach good for a shadier spot and again you can cut right back and it will grow again. If someone digs the whole lot up then you’re out of luck.

Florence fennel has attractive foliage and could sit happily next to other plants and some beetroots are a different colour , can be dotted around between plants and people might not realise what they are. Red orach is very ornamental and don’t think a lot of people would realise it’s edible and have a read of this about dahlia tubers www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11405748/Edible-dahlias-a-return-to-Aztec-roots.html.

Google edible landscapes for idea, lots of this stuff won’t be practical or realistic for most people but there might be something that strikes a chord with someone in amongst it and one plant better than none, Think I read somewhere pea shoots are easy from a pack of dried peas. Those plus TIP’s suggestion of splitting living lettuce are things that could be good in milk bottle containers, just need a bit of compost. Places like Wilko’s have smaller bags that are easy to carry, smaller to store and a couple of quid if you just need a bit. Grow your own became a money spinner but it’s what people used to do in their back yards and gardens pretty much for free saving seeds etc and was just a normal part of life.

TIP your garden sounds really lovely. I’m very lucky to have space too now but started with a green plastic trough and some herbs in the back yard of student house when doing finals having hated gardening before that. Did have a lovely greenhouse but it had to come down , I’d like an alternative .

There is an interesting YouTube channel called The Morning Gardener. He's in the US. It's not a slick production by any means but he obviously cares very much about his produce and "stealth gardening " is part of his thing.
"Stealth gardening " is a bit of a prepper thing. It's particularly an issue in US where there are usually local restrictions on what you do with your front lawn (if you have one).

I mean front garden not front lawn.

Some lovely ideas for things I can put between my flowers. Thanks!

Oh dear - the veg plants I've ordered aren't coming until after 29th March

We are DOOMED!

Thank you, PostNotinHaste: a great deal of food for thought (thank you, I’m here all week) in your extremely helpful reply.
Not necessarily Laurie: as several posters have said and made me realise, lots of people are so distanced from what they’re eating that unless the eaty bits are visible, they won’t have a clue. Actually I’m going to go now, I’m making things even more depressing 😁 have a nice day 🌷

Ah no, you can't see my 'secret' garden from anywhere - I meant the plants won't arrive to start growing in time to feed me

My house is a funny shape and no one can see the garden. I could even sunbathe naked (but the dog would think I was weird).

Thank you for that really helpful post, PostNotInHaste.

The Geoff Hamilton book linked up thread - the Ornamental Kitchen Garden - was all about making your edibles look like a pretty garden

and yes, yes, yes about how people will not recognise food plants for what they are

I think the burglars will be more interested in things they can sell rather than stuff they have to dig up

I look after dogs and was just thinking I might order a few fake dog poo 💩 to leave around the plants. 🤣

Just checking in...I haven't done much yet. I'm starting completely from scratch as our garden is just turf at the moment.

I've just ordered seeds from Real Seeds (£18 worth). Felt that's enough for now!

I ordered a mini greenhouse from Ebay for £80 and that has arrived so I just need to put it together at the weekend.

Will also pop to the local garden centre at the weekend for seed compost and seed trays.

Is there anything I need to know about prepping a new bed in the garden?

Other than take the turf up?

Hi there mojo
if you are turning lawn into veg bed, once you have taken the turf off, you'll need to dig at least a fork depth to break up the subsoil and remove ALL roots
and do not make it too big - 2m by 1m is a good size as you can reach every part without walking on it

re plant trays - see if there is a recycling box at your garden centre so you can pick them ad pots up for free

re compost - it has to be peat free and then see what there is - I'm using Miracle Gro at the moment

I'm an indoor gardener, can I join?

To be fair you don't have to lift the turf. You can lay membrane and build an easy raided bed for a couple of quid, fill with soil and bulbs/seeds and sorted

If you look on Gumtree and Facebook selling pages people are often doing their gardens and give away topsoil. I made a bed at allotment by flipping the turf upside down then adding free bags of manure (guess that won’t work in middle of city!) then contents of my compost bin but could have added topsoil as got loads of free stuff. Didn’t do any sides, just left it piled up. Think if it was my lawn i’d Have wanted it a bit neater though.

Newly planted

In the summer and some pumpkins

And no dig beds are an option www.growveg.co.uk/guides/no-dig-gardening-create-new-beds-the-easy-way/

@LazyFace

Just catching up with the thread so a bit slow to respond but if you have chickens (presumably given you mentioned chicken food!) you already have the best possible tool against slugs.

You'll need to make sure said chickens can't get to your veg, so temporary chicken wire around them.

Then release the chickens in the early morning after a rainy night when the slugs are out and they shall have a feast!

Whenever you see a slug otherwise pick it up with gloves because slime and chuck it to the chickens. They LOVE slugs.

I had a massive slug problem and after a couple of months of letting the chickens at them the slug population was decimated.

Thanks Talkin

@LaurieFairyCake A note of caution about sunbathing in private gardens. My DM is a real sun-seeker and has a tendency to strip down to knickers and bra and get out on the patio at the slightest hint of sun. Garden is private and not overlooked at all.

It all works well until a delivery man appears with something she forget she ordered on Amazon

SneakyGremlin
Indoor gardeners are absolutely welcome

Anybody with a windowsill or a bright south facing room can have a go at mustard and cress, herbs, a chilli plant and maybe a tumbler tomato
let alone beansprouts and spring onions in a vase as cut and come again