Complete novice wanting to grow something!

[SnowyTigers]

Hi all,

I am a complete novice when it comes to growing anything, but I'd absolutely love to have a go with my DD who is 7 as she seems really interested in trying.

We have a small front garden with a bit of grass which gets the full sun in the afternoon, and an enclosed back yard which gets a bit of sun in the morning but not loads as we live in rows of terraces so the sun gets a bit blocked by the houses to the back of us.

Our back yard has a stone raised bed along one side which has some herbs growing in there (a small mint plant which doesn't seem to ever get any bigger, two types of thyme, a huge sage and huge lavender bush). I've bought w garden waste sack so I can clear out some leaves and cut back the big sage and lavender plants, and once I've jet washed the paving I can build a small wooden greenhouse I ordered from Aldi.

Is there anything relatively easy we can get started with? I think dd would love growing something edible (maybe tomatoes?) but I'm totally clueless and open to ideas! I'd also love some sort of flowers for the front garden, maybe in pots? Am I better off just buying these ready done?

I know I need to buy some bits such as compost but I honestly don't really know what other basic equipment (such a pots etc?) I should have to hand. We have a spade, trowel and gloves

I'd love some suggestions if anyone would be happy to help.

Fab thank you. I've just had a look on the website and they have a couple of bits which would be good. Lidl always comes through in my time of need

Beans! You can grow them in big tubs and sow them directly into them. Put some canes in for support that they grow round. Super easy just need watering and you get loads of beans which kids love to pick.

Tomatoes are very easy to grow. I'd be careful with planting them out too early because a night frost can kill them.

Other plants that are easy to grow: lavender, mint (careful as it spreads, so best confined to a container), carrots, parsley, potatoes.

@senua

cut back the big sage and lavender plants Mind how you go with the lavender; they don't like being savagely cut back. RHS says "Don’t prune it hard into old, bare wood as it will not regenerate well."

This ^ I made the mistake of cutting my lavender back and it never regrew.

Meant to add - if you want to grow beans, the dried ones you can buy for cooking grow really well. I tried it last year when I was bored during the first lockdown. I gave them a soak overnight, then just popped them in some compost and they all sprouted in about a week.

@Shezlon and OP

Wilko do a similar pot for £4. Out of stock online but had some in my local. I already have 4 they are fabulous.

Ooh thanks kittens, I'll keep an eye out. It looks a lot smaller than the Lidl one

I always grew runner beans with my dcs. You can buy a big plastic pot fairly cheap, compost and garden canes (reuse each year). They grow fast, flowers are pretty and very easy to pick. They just need a fair bit of water.

Strawberry plants in pots work well too. I had a little cherry tomato plant last year in a pot that just kept going for weeks!

Grow what you'll eat and enjoy! I love having a pot of salad leaves on the go, you can buy lovely mixtures and they are so much nicer than soggy salad bags. A pot full every month or two will keep you in salad. The RHS have great advice. www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=527 Strawberries are great in pots, harder for slugs to get at them. Ditto carrots, homegrown are so yummy! Have fun.

Candytuft flowers are very easily grown, not often mentioned. The seeds can go straight into the ground or put in pots.

Thanks so much for the advice everyone

They didn't have the tomato planters in my local lidl (so sad!) but I did get two big self watering planters for £3.99 each and I can add some garden canes to them. Also got some radish seeds

I popped to mine yesterday and got another tomato planter, was tempted by the self-watering pots too but I have masses of pots already. I got some pumpkin seeds to try out though. Just need to start planting now!

Salad leaves, runner beans, beetroot, chard and peas are very easy.
Jerusalem artichokes and fennel can add some spectacular and interesting height and are also easy.
I wouldn't be without calendula for colour.
Other pretty and easy perennials which also have uses are bergamot ( monarda), hyssop, feverfew, and lemon balm - although lemon balm can be quite aggressive.

Chives and garlic chives and Welsh onions are also pretty and edible.
You can get outdoor mini cucumbers too ( I think mini muncher are one variety)
If you want attractive-leaved edibles bloody sorrel and cavalo nero kale are interesting.

Wondering if any of you have used something like this? As a sort of half way house between indoor and outside. Don't think I can justify a proper greenhouse!

Yes I had a mini greenhouse like that last year Mistress, really useful for seed trays etc. Sadly it didn't withstand the recent windy weather a few weeks back so I've now ordered a sturdier wooden one to replace it. No room for a proper greenhouse otherwise I'd have one of those.

Thank you, I think I'll get one - I haven't done enough gardening to justify buying a real glass one, will see if this inspires me!

I got a mini wooden greenhouse from Aldi very recently which looks great. I haven't built it yet but my DM got one too and hers is lovely. I was considering one of the pop-up plastic ones but wasn't sure if it would be sturdy enough.

Started work on my back yard today! Really inspired by this thread so thank you to everyone who has given me advice. Just pruning the sage and lavender bushes and sweeping up the dead leaves etc has made such a huge difference. Can't wait to pressure wash the paving!

Sorry to revive this thread again, but I have a question and it's been so helpful.

I've just finished sorting my back yard and now have a total blank canvas. I'm waiting for some patio black spot treatment to arrive which should hopefully finish off the paving after I jet washed it last weekend. I'm going to put my greenhouse at the back wall.

I'm going to grow some peas of some sort. My dd loves sugarsnap peas - are they easy enough to grow? Or should I stick to runner beans?

We have some nasturtium and sunflower seeds now, and I also picked up some radish seeds and DH bought peppers. I have some other bits I want to get to start us off too.

I've just gone through this thread and wrote a big list of what I want to do and I'm really excited. I've never been in to gardening at all but I'm not working at the minute and it's helping me so much to have a project to work on

All kinds of peas are super easy. You can grow them in pots or grow bags but you will need canes for them to climb up, or netting or something for them to grab. I start them in seed trays first but you can plant them out directly - mice love digging them up and eating the seed though. You get better germination if you soak the peas first before planting apparently but I rarely bother.

Peppers you might be a bit late for this year, I haven't grown them for a while but I have a vague memory that you are supposed to plant them as early as possible (like Feb?) as they need a long growing season to fruit. Having a greenhouse will help though so it's always worth a try.

I didn't realise DH had bought peppers so I can just leave it for this year

Thanks for the pea advice. I bought some canes from B&M a couple of days ago and have some big pots I can use, but I'll start them off inside first.

Sorry to jump on your thread @SnowyTigers but it is rather helpful. (Your courtyard is lovely btw!)
I wanted to ask @justanotherneighinparadise how big her year old lemon plants were... We go through loads of lemons, so always have pips. I'm just after some lush foliage rather than actual fruits! I'm not living in the med

It is a good thread isn't it! So grateful for all the advice.

I've cleaned my paving with some fancy cleaner stuff and it's so nice and bright now. And I've also built my greenhouse so just have to sow my seeds now. Bought a load of stuff suggested up thread which I'm waiting to arrive (including the mini muncher cucumbers which I'm very excited about!!). Going to do the stuff I already have tomorrow and then sow the rest as soon as they arrive. Hopefully I'm not too late with it all but will keep indoors for a few weeks

Sounds great! I'm going to take the advantage of a rare day off and do the tomato thing @justanotherneighinparadise described. We have lettuces and herbs too, but they'll be started indoors as we're in for frosts this week.