We moved into a house with a massive garden last year. After the daunting task of cutting down the waist high grass and re-linning the 10x8ft pond, I planted and cultivated some vegetable seeds.

After a huge crop of peas I'm now over run with french beans, runner beans and brocolli and have a greenhouse full of tomatoes and peppers ripening nicely.

But what now?? I plan to put in some raspberry canes in the Autumn but what can I grow in the 3 other vegetable plots, between now & the spring?

Somthing that can survive the Winter, like Cabbage, Sprouts, Turnips, Parsnips etc ?

I'll have to look on some seed packets about when to sow; don't know about root crops, the ground is very stoney, but cabbage & sprouts sound good....mmm I do like a good roast parsnip though!:D

I've got some perpetual spinach - provides leaves all year. Taste nice in a salad or in cooking.

Fairly stoney ground can still be ok for root veg, you just get some very unusual shaped veg.

thanks for the ideas.

Can't wait to get out there now.

Beetroot is good and grows easily, Marshalls are great, get one of their catalogues and you will find all sorts of strange things to grow.

If you need a home for any of your home grown veg then let me know. :)

Oooh.. you've got me all excited now.. my boyfriend has bought a house with a huge garden and is in the process of renovating it.. I'm going to start on the garden (or should I say jungle!) as soon as the brambles are all picked!

Definitely going to grow loads of veg and herbs and have raspberries and loganberries..

Can't wait!

(tho I'm not exactly looking forward to clearing the brambles and bracken)

Originally posted by Anne23
Oooh.. you've got me all excited now.. my boyfriend has bought a house with a huge garden and is in the process of renovating it.. I'm going to start on the garden (or should I say jungle!) as soon as the brambles are all picked!

Definitely going to grow loads of veg and herbs and have raspberries and loganberries..

Can't wait!

(tho I'm not exactly looking forward to clearing the brambles and bracken)

Yes, seeing the first seeds pushing through the soil is exciting, picking the first beans & peas was brilliant! It's great fun, they taste great, are really healthy and well worth the hard work.

My husband thinks I've lost it when I come in from the greenhouse raving about the size of the tomatoes or the fact that the chilli's are turning red!

Originally posted by Anne23
(tho I'm not exactly looking forward to clearing the brambles and bracken)

Neither would I, they are two of the worse things to get rid of.

They use to saw grow spuds the first year because by the time you have dug it over for planting . Raked them up, dug them up you have broken up the soil fertilised it. treated it for slugs and other nasty things. It is then well turned over and well worked. See Dobies catalogue or go to Middletons the should have a variaty os spud to grow either over winter or grow for earlies next year.

Originally posted by nick2
Neither would I, they are two of the worse things to get rid of.

Not as bad a japanese knot weed. My neighbour but one has a large amount of this. The armies are amassing, I think soon the onslaught on my northern territories will begin...

Originally posted by TimmyR
Not as bad a japanese knot weed. My neighbour but one has a large amount of this. The armies are amassing, I think soon the onslaught on my northern territories will begin...

I think it spreads by underground tuber thingies, so if you put a barrier between you and him (like some kind of plastic membrane, vertically about 2 foot deep) it shouldn't be able to spread. In a similar way to how you stop bamboo going berzerk and filling your entire garden (or not in my case)

Originally posted by Debk
but what can I grow in the 3 other vegetable plots, between now & the spring?

It's a good idea to give the soil a rest occasionally. Spread some well rotted compost, dig it in and let it weather over winter. A couple of hard frosts will kill off most of the nasties, then in the spring dig it over again ready for sowing.

BTW it's not a good idea to grow legumes, peas and beans etc., in the same place two years running.

If you've a lot of room grow flowers to cut for the house ?

Originally posted by nick2
I think it spreads by underground tuber thingies, so if you put a barrier between you and him (like some kind of plastic membrane, vertically about 2 foot deep) it shouldn't be able to spread. In a similar way to how you stop bamboo going berzerk and filling your entire garden (or not in my case)

It doesn't have much problem growing through foundations so that may not help. I've heard it can travel up to 20metres under ground (and that it eats small children).

Originally posted by TimmyR
It doesn't have much problem growing through foundations so that may not help. I've heard it can travel up to 20metres under ground (and that it eats small children).

Bloody hell, and I thought triffids were scarey.

Originally posted by nick2
Bloody hell, and I thought triffids were scarey.

Its nasty, I believe it is illegal to dispose of it in the bin. So far it hasn't reached my garden...

Originally posted by desy
They use to saw grow spuds the first year because by the time you have dug it over for planting . Raked them up, dug them up you have broken up the soil fertilised it. treated it for slugs and other nasty things. It is then well turned over and well worked. See Dobies catalogue or go to Middletons the should have a variaty os spud to grow either over winter or grow for earlies next year.

Correction try Thompson & Morgan all the spuds are first earies and planted Feb / March, Maris Bard, Pentland Javlin

Originally posted by Debk
We moved into a house with a massive garden last year. After the daunting task of cutting down the waist high grass and re-linning the 10x8ft pond, I planted and cultivated some vegetable seeds.

After a huge crop of peas I'm now over run with french beans, runner beans and brocolli and have a greenhouse full of tomatoes and peppers ripening nicely.

But what now?? I plan to put in some raspberry canes in the Autumn but what can I grow in the 3 other vegetable plots, between now & the spring? try this www.vegetable-gardening-club.com/forum/ :clap:

Originally posted by TimmyR
Not as bad a japanese knot weed. My neighbour but one has a large amount of this. The armies are amassing, I think soon the onslaught on my northern territories will begin...

Is that the stringy stuff with white tube shaped flowers??

If it is then I have that to contend with too.. its threading around the jungle as we speak...

I'll have to napalm the garden at this rate... which goes against all my organic gardening principles ;-)

Hmm, a question for you keen gardeners then. What should I do with my garden?

It's quite a large rectangular lawned garden with no "plants", but hedges both sides and at the back, and a newly-cleared bramble patch (30x20 ft) at the top. I'm poisoning the brambles and putting membrane down, BUT I don't know what to do with the area once it's bramble free... ideas please! I've looked in books and mags, but I'm not inspired.

I don't really want decking or gravel, but it has to be low maintenance. Not asking much am I? :D

Bulbs & Perennials come back year after year so plant Bulbs & more bulbs then anything that says "Perennial" on the label........then more perennials! Very low maintenance :D

Start thinking about planting spring flowering bulbs now; crocus, daffodils, tulips, alliums.

Ask friends and neighbours to split their existing perennials, Geraniums, Lady's mantle, cornflowers etc. now is the best time of year for this. Also ask them to take cuttings of pelargonium & fuchsia for you. (or if you live near S11 come & get some of mine!)

You could start browsing the many on line seed catalogues I've used www.thompson-morgan.com or www.gardeningdirect.com

or what about ornamental grasses?? ..... the options are endless.

Things like cordylines and New Zealand flax are very low maintenance, hard to kill and look good all year.

Keep those suggestions coming... particularly interested in what to do with the no-man's land at the top of the garden!

Depending on what your soil is like, a couple of Rhodedendrons or Azaleas will quickly fill-out a bare patch of soil and look good in spring. But you need to check the soil, they only like acid soil.

have a look round the Gardeners World website : http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/gardeners_world/index.shtml

(try to ignore that smug, corderoy-wearing, frizzy haired git Monty Don)

The virtual garden is quite fun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/virtualgarden_index.shtml

No garden is complete without a water feature of some sort.

Originally posted by TimmyR
No garden is complete without a water feature of some sort.

Yes, something like this : http://www.cdmiles.dsl.pipex.com/misc/images/Cascade%20-%20Chatsworth.jpg

Oooh, that'd look smashing! I've got an old shed - maybe I could dangle a hosepipe through the window for a similar effect.

What happened to the City Hall stone lions? They'd look good either side, or the Avesta bison. I'm not fussy.

Originally posted by feargal
What happened to the City Hall stone lions?

I E-mailed the council and the contractors asking them if they intended to restore them to the City Hall, neither replied :(