Moving into new home (with garden) in two weeks, seeds all ordered, but garden won't be done.....

[IlanaK]

what do I do?

Currently, the garden is just grass - no planting areas at all. We have a landscape gardener coming at the end of April to completely redo the garden including 2 ft high raised planting areas.

I ordered all the seeds last night (don't ask why!) and most say plant early April. So, do I just wait until the garden is done and them plant into the beds, or should I get some grow bags or something and plant the seeds and then replant when the garden is done?

I haven't had a garden for almost 7 years so no idea what to do!

Oh, and I should mention that all the seeds are for herbs, salads and vegetables. No flowers.

Have a look and see what the seed packets say on the back - some will be to grow indoors only (i.e. in a greenhouse or on a windowsill)(some tomatoes, some chillies, peppers etc), while some you will need to start off indoors then plant outside when they get bigger (most tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergines). Some you will be able to sow directly outside (carrots, lettuce, spinach, parsnips).

Lots of info here:

www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/digin/

To prepare, take a trip to your local garden centre or B&Q and stock up on compost, slug killer (can get organic and pet/child friendly ones) and gardening tools.

Don't worry at all, pretty much everything will be fine sown at the end of April or beginning/middle of May. Early April is the earliest to sow, IYSWIM, and later sown stuff often catches up as its going into warmer soil. You'd be a bit late for parsnips & leeks, but you'll just get smaller ones.

The exceptions are things like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, that you would be starting off indoors and then planting out anyway. They all need to be started by end March really .

I would definitely start some salads off in seed trays, though, so that you have them ready to go out into your garden when its made, just so that you have them ready to go & get stuff sooner. If the garden making drags on, I'd probably also sow french beans, cukes, courgettes, runners etc into small pots at end april or start of may so that they can then go out as soon as its made.

IlanaK, I think in fact you might have ordered your seeds from us (is your RL name rather like your MN one?)

If so, I can email you with a bit more advice re. when to plant.

Ooh are you RS* takver? Your ears should be burning - my friends and I were singing your praises to high heaven the other day

Now I'm wondering how you know who we are. . .!

There's not that many veg seed suppliers in Wales - I looked at your profile. I was just making a guess because I know how helpful you are, I'm not stalking you, honest!

Yes I did indeed order from real seeds! Any help you could give me is great! Here are the dates I am working to:

We move in on the 3rd of April. The gardener starts work on the 26th of April and will work for two weeks. There are no beds or anything in the garden for me to plant in when we move in, but there is massive patio area. We also have a consrvatory that I could put pots in (not too many as the dining room table is in there!).

Takver, you know what I have ordered (I have to confess to ordering a few other bits from another website as you didn't have them) so you tell me what to do!

I'll have a look and send you an email

And congratulations on your new garden . . .

Forgive my stalking, Takver as I want to find your website but I was alarmed at the picture of a toddler making ectoplasm.

Wonderfully impressive! Ours just scribbles on walls.

I'm not sure that you have our website right !!!

We have lots of pix of vegetable plants - no toddlers & ectoplasm at all . . .

I looked up the wrong profile. IlanaK has the ectoplasm picture.

LOL! I forgot that picture was on there. It was from an AIBU posting ages ago - it was the packing from one small order of toys.