planning next years garden

[dawud_uk]

Assalaamu alaykum,

I am hoping to get planning for next years growth, this years little tomatos have really given me the itch to get doing more next year so here is the plan, if someone more experienced can give me feedback and advice.

I am going to get some plastic containers, like the cheap ones you get to store clothes and toys in my wilkinsons and fill them with soil and all purpose compost, drill the containers on the bottom and place the containers on two beams so they are slightly raised off the ground.

then once drilled and raised i will put in gravel and stones for drainage, then the soil / all purpose compost mix, this is just to give me a base to grow most things i want to grow.

Then in some pots will go potatoes, some onions, some garlic and some larger varieties of tomato.

now what sort of light do all of these plants need? i live in a terrace house, my back garden being mostly south facing but i do have some shaded areas as well as very sunny ones.

when do i need to plant? sow the seeds?

Also, i was planning on getting an nearby allotment as there are quite a few vacant plots near my house but i was told to get it in autumn and dig it over ready for spring, is this correct?

Finally, to keep the soil fertile, i am hoping to do a mini crop rotation system, 4 different sections to my allotment and garden, 1 for potatoes, one for tomatos and chillis and peppers, one for beans and peas and one fallow which i will grow nitrating plants in but just turn it over at the end of the growing season.

Finally my hanging baskets i am using for tombling tom tomatoes at the moment can be used for herbs and more chillis.

What do people think? this going to work? or is it a hopeless plan doomed to failure?

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

[~Obsidian~]

I don't think it's doomed to fail :) I am also a new gardener, and just like you the sight of the toms got me itching to plant more. I think you can still plant potatoes, I'm following the thread on here where they were grown in a sack and I must say it works very well.

If I remember correctly from my A level biology days, in the section you plan to leave fallow you can instead plant some beans (leghumes) as they form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, and they can grow in quite poor soils too so they end up being better for the soil than leaving it fallow as they replace the nitrogen used up by previous plants.

I'm not sure about the specific times for onion and garlic as I have yet to grow them, but most of the planting (as I have seen) is done during march-may.

Working over the soil in autumn for spring is not something I have ever done before so hopefully somebody else can help you with that, although I do hear it is quite common practice. I only started planting this year and so whenever I did plant anything directly into the ground I worked in some compost and occasionally plant food granules (but mostly fed in the pots).

Did you know you can also plant carrots and cucumbers (and some people are growing sweetcorn)?

Alot of veg I think prefer very sunny patches, but then again this is specific to the plants and I am not as yet familiar with these requirements :o

Apologies if I have left any of your questions unanswered as I said before I am still new to this so hopefully other members can answer your questions.

This is a great thread, as I am planning my garden for next year too.

Might I advise you to also acquire a large opaque container and drill some ventilation holes in it, and get a lid for it too? This way you can begin to generate your own compost using the fruit/veg/bread leftovers and bits from you kitchen and plants/leaves from your garden. Be sure to keep it warm and damp, but don't put meat etc. in there as it might attract animals.

Last thing I can think of, Riz here buys plastic buckets from B&Q as they are like large pots, but for cheaper than standard ones so you might want to do that as well, and I think it would be a good idea to investigate pound stores as they sometimes have large ones for a pound (esp. poundland) or packs of 3/4 for a pound. :)

[Riz]

I am hoping to get planning for next years growth, this years little tomatos have really given me the itch to get doing more next year so here is the plan, if someone more experienced can give me feedback and advice.

I am going to get some plastic containers, like the cheap ones you get to store clothes and toys in my wilkinsons and fill them with soil and all purpose compost, drill the containers on the bottom and place the containers on two beams so they are slightly raised off the ground.
then once drilled and raised i will put in gravel and stones for drainage, then the soil / all purpose compost mix, this is just to give me a base to grow most things i want to grow.http://www.planetganja.com/highsociety/images/smilies/GreenThumbs.gif


now what sort of light do all of these plants need? salaam dawud..

Just the natural light from the sun is enough, you say you have a south facing garden so thats cool.

i live in a terrace house, my back garden being mostly south facing but i do have some shaded areas as well as very sunny ones.thats ok, some of my tomato and bamboo plants only get 5 hours of direct light everyday and they are blooming really well.

when do i need to plant? sow the seeds? usually in mid may for almost all vegetables. But you can start them of early indoors or in a cold frame.. i have a article i written offline i will paste it tomorrow inshallah.

good luck and please share your inspiration and grows with muslimgrower.

Also, i was planning on getting an nearby allotment as there are quite a few vacant plots near my house but i was told to get it in autumn and dig it over ready for spring, is this correct?

Yes thats true. but you can wait till early april to do it like i do,

good idea, Allotments are very hard to find these days as more and more people are getting intrested in growing food .
You will have to "till" the soil as turn it over, over time its gets clumpy and hard so tilling helps it you can also add chicken manure to help boost the nitrogen levels in the soil,
diffrent veg grow better if the P.H level of the soil is the way they like it. You can buy yourself a electronic P.H tester like i have, but all this information will come to you over a period of time,
The other people at the allotment will love to help you out and will have enough tips and tricks for you, as they love to share there passion with other like minded folk.

Finally, to keep the soil fertile, i am hoping to do a mini crop rotation system, 4 different sections to my allotment and garden, 1 for potatoes, one for tomatos and chillis and peppers, one for beans and peas and one fallow which i will grow nitrating plants in but just turn it over at the end of the growing season.

Finally my hanging baskets i am using for tombling tom tomatoes at the moment can be used for herbs and more chillis.

What do people think? this going to work? or is it a hopeless plan doomed to failure?

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillahyes of course it will work, It looks to me that you have allready done some research into growing anyway so thats the hard bit out of the way. Growing is a very easy thing to do ( it really is) aslong as you enjoy gardening the learning comes really easy.

[Riz]

please take a look at the stickys on top of this forum, soli preparation, mulching etc...

[Riz]

I am allready planning for next season in my head..

i will be having a go at growing okra next season it will be a challenge but not if i get a greenhouse, I will be growing pumpkins ( seeds from the states) and will be planning my vegetable patch,

radish
spuds
okra
pumpkins
garden peas
cucembers
aubergines/courgettes
gherkins

* if i think of any more ideas i will let you all know

[Riz]

I will order a walnut tree aswell, i have located some room for it at the back of the garden... always wanted to grow it :) here is the website http://www.walnuttrees.co.uk/

[Tania]

I will order a walnut tree aswell, i have located some room for it at the back of the garden... always wanted to grow it :) here is the website http://www.walnuttrees.co.uk/I have a walnut tree in my garden but i don't know how to take care of. In the summer few leaves get a brown colour, thats why i think must be some works what i should do.

[Riz]

I have a walnut tree in my garden but i don't know how to take care of. In the summer few leaves get a brown colour, thats why i think must be some works what i should do.

do you get any walnuts from it ?
you should check out the link its quite helpful

[~Obsidian~]

I am allready planning for next season in my head..

i will be having a go at growing okra next season it will be a challenge but not if i get a greenhouse, I will be growing pumpkins ( seeds from the states) and will be planning my vegetable patch,

radish
spuds
okra
pumpkins
garden peas
cucembers
aubergines/courgettes
gherkins

* if i think of any more ideas i will let you all know

I created a list about a month ago (and I hope I can find it again!)......it's unbelievably ambitious so I'll take it as a first draft and whittle it down to a few :D
Edit: seeing your list makes me rethink mine! :p

[Tania]

do you get any walnuts from it ?
you should check out the link its quite helpfulIn this days i pick up from the ground the nuts. Are around 2 kgs and are still falling :) . I didn't find in the site where its the tree maintenance.

[Riz]

sorry tania i must have missed that link out..

A few leaves browning in the summer seems natural, trees often shed leaves and grow new ones all the time.. you could give it a good pruning that always encourages more growth..

this link provides everything you need to know ( menu on left) http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/em/em8907.pdf

[Tania]

Thank you for the link. I will do what they says but here we don't have where to establish the soil composition, so i will fertilize after my head.

[Riz]

Thank you for the link. I will do what they says but here we don't have where to establish the soil composition, so i will fertilize after my head.

so whats your location, which country are you in ?

[Tania]

Romania. I have to check up the societies from my town, may be we have where to analyse the soil. I am not sure.

[Riz]

Tania..

Here is the P.H tester and moisture tester all in one.. It costs £10 gbp

stick the probes into the ground and wait 5 minutes and it will show you the P.H of your soil and how much moisture there is in the ground, ideal for checking moisture in pots and in the ground, i have had this for 2 years now, its a handy tool for the garden as we all know some plants like acidic soil and some like PH balanced soil which is 7.0 on the scale..

[Riz]

i found a link B&Q site and its on for £6.98 so even cheaper, even though i now know you live in romania :)

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9371992&fh_view_size=6&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=ph+tester&fh_eds=%C3%9F&fh_refview=search&ts=1222346293206&isSearch=true

[Riz]

dawud brother were are you !? :D


I have found some more interesting things to plant next season

Piper nigrum

( peppercorn)


(http://www.reimerseeds.com/fun-things-to-grow_591.aspx) http://www.reimerseeds.com/images/products/trees/Peppercorn_Plant_Seeds.jpg

gossypium hirsutum( cotton)
i tried cotton seeds 2 seasons ago, got the seeds from e-bay, grew to around 2 feet and then died mysteriously

http://seedrack.com/indiv/images/cotton.jpg

[Tania]

i found a link B&Q site and its on for £6.98 so even cheaper, even though i now know you live in romania :)
I will try to find in suupermarket for gardeners. If i can't, then i will order from the site :)
I have not decided what i will plant yet next year but definetly i will try the tomatoes. from seeds beginning.

[Riz]

I will try to find in suupermarket for gardeners. If i can't, then i will order from the site :)
I have not decided what i will plant yet next year but definetly i will try the tomatoes. from seeds beginning.

yeah you should be able to buy one local, i dont think B&Q deliver to romania though :)

if you still have probelms getting it, just PM me and we will sort something out :)

[Riz]

i was in a store today..

got some onion seeds ( sweet spanish yellow)
sow : feb-april
harvest:- sept

pumpkins ( hundredweight)

sow; april june
harvest:- sept-oct

[Foz]

oh my parents grew pumpkins this year...got quite a few!

[Riz]

what do your parents do with them all !?

my mother made them once in a curry , i guess they taste a bit like a turnip ;)

[Riz]

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/images/clearpixel.gif


salaam everyone.

Just browsing various sites to give me some inspiration for growing different types of vegetables, i come across these small cukes.. i may give them ago early next season.. Ive seen a few other seeds i may wish to grow, so ill keep you informed.. if you see anything you fancy growing please let us know and we can discuss them here


Thompson and Morgan Cucumber : Cucino F1 Hybrid Seeds.
http://www.garden4less.co.uk/images/clearpixel.gif

(http://www.garden4less.co.uk/cart.asp) http://www.garden4less.co.uk/prodimages/thompson-morgan/veg-seeds/355.jpg



Perfect lunchbox snacks, these exciting little cucino fruits can be eaten straight from the plant without peeling. Crisp, flavoursome mini-fruits are produced prolifically throughout the season indoors or in a sheltered position outdoors.
Sowing Instructions

Sow February to May. Sow seed 1cm (- inch) deep, in 7.5cm (3- inch) pots of free-draining compost. Place in a propagator and keep at a temperature of around 20-25C (68-77F) until after germination, usually 5 to 7 days.
Growing Instructions
When first true leaves develop, transplant into 13cm (5 inch) pots. Finally, plant into 25cm (10 inch) pots or into growbags. Grow on at at least 15C (59F). Prefers a moist, well-drained soil.
Train along wire, allowing the main shoot to reach the tip. Pinch out growing point and allow two sideshoots to trail downwards. Keep plants moist at all times, and shade if necessary. Keep humidity high and pick fruits regularly.
http://www.garden4less.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=xTM355

[Riz]

i don't think ive ever had the pleasure of eating these before.. the seeds can be sown in feb-march and harvest time in October-November.. i may give them a try, still undeceided

Artichoke
Nutty-tasting!
A thornless, cold-tolerant variety producing deep, thick-fleshed, nutty-tasting hearts. Open and erect habit with buds on long stems for ease of harvest. Will crop in its first year if sown early.

http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/garden_equipment/seeds-plants/assets/sections/2.jpg

[~Obsidian~]

Artichokes! I see them everywhere, they fascinate me lol! People eat them whole ..give it a go!

[Kirsten]

Things I will definitely be growing next year (already bought my seeds!) :D

Yellow pear tomatos
Red cherry tomatoes
Oregon spring tomatoes (normal sized)
Eggplant (my first try at this, we'll see how it goes!)
Swiss chard
Cucumbers (the last two I did this year and were amazing)
Carrots (in a bucket maybe, I have awful soil here)
Beans (got some italian purple striped ones from a friend)
Alpine strawberries (already in the fridge stratifying, I'm so excited!)
Chinese Kale and mini cabbage and spinach - I've never planted these before but the boyfriend bought me seeds for my birthday, and we're going to plant them together :) (The boy must learn more about gardening, I insist, I haven't forgotten when he ID'ed the dandelion as a tomato)

And I have some cantaloupe seeds that somehow came into my hands but I have absolutely no place to plant them, so I don't know what I'll do with them just yet.

I've also got hot pepper seeds that I saved from someone else's plant - they were the most ADORABLE little yellow hot peppers, so I might have to plant a few just for fun :) And of course, there are the rose seeds that I got from a neglected bush on campus :tree-huggin: and some morning glory seeds I collected.

I want to start the eggplants in my eggshells inside as soon as I get back to school (I'm home for winter break) and I'll be back in January, do you think that's too early? We're supposed to get lovely weather and I hear eggplants have very long growing times before you actually get eggplants, so I really want to start early. I'll keep them inside, of course.

[Riz]

Things I will definitely be growing next year (already bought my seeds!) :D

Yellow pear tomatos
Red cherry tomatoes
Oregon spring tomatoes (normal sized)


Liking it.... but dont forget muslimgrowers FREE seed give away offer "moneymaker" organic or radish and mint 2 types

Eggplant (my first try at this, we'll see how it goes!). I want to start the eggplants in my eggshells inside as soon as I get back to school (I'm home for winter break) and I'll be back in January, do you think that's too early? We're supposed to get lovely weather and I hear eggplants have very long growing times before you actually get eggplants, so I really want to start early. I'll keep them inside, of course. From what i have noticed is that once you sow the seed when it germinates the root ball grows really rapid and within a few days of germination the roots will be poking out from the bottom of the pot :)

If you bought the seeds local in your area then you can figure out the "Local planting times" for eggplants, January does seem really, really early to sow them, they will get pretty big until you leave them outdoors which will be in mid- may ? ( so its a long time) i would probably sow the seeds in early April and stick them out in mid may when the chances of chilly nights are less, so thats 5 months, thats enough, they should start to flower mid to late august and that leaves the whole of september to mid october for it too fruit, and if i can remember correctly wasnt it really hot in september this year in your neck of the woods!?

Cucumbers (the last two I did this year and were amazing)
Carrots (in a bucket maybe, I have awful soil here)
Beans (got some italian purple striped ones from a friend)yep, i am with ya !!


Alpine strawberries (already in the fridge stratifying, I'm so excited!)nice.. i was looking at alpine strawberry plant online that other day...

Chinese Kale and mini cabbage and spinach - interesting, and say hi to "dandelion boy" from us :)

And I have some cantaloupe seeds that somehow came into my hands but I have absolutely no place to plant them, so I don't know what I'll do with them just yet. they grow like a vine i think

I've also got hot pepper seeds that I saved from someone else's plant - they were the most ADORABLE little yellow hot peppers, so I might have to plant a few just for fun :) And of course, there are the rose seeds that I got from a neglected bush on campus you could easily grow the peppers in your dorm room as well as outdoors,infact the chilli seedlings will love your dorm room its like a bloody greenhouse..

[Kirsten]

The reason I want to start eggplants early is that I will be gone by August for school, and nobody cares about the garden when I'm not around (besides eating from it... nobody actually takes care of it :( ) so if I get them in the ground by mid-may I won't actually get to eat anything. I'm thinking of starting them in mid-January or so, and getting them into the ground by mid-March. The weather here is ridiculous, it's 64 degrees F today!! My neighbor is outside washing his car in a t-shirt...

I forgot - I did actually plant beans last year, but I placed them too close to the cucumbers, who quickly strangled everyone else within about five feet. I'm going to have to come up with a better way to deal with those vines... trying to get dad to build me a nice wooden trellis to hold them up or something.

I REALLY hope I get strawberries - that would be so much fun! And you're right about the chili peppers, I forgot how well they did in my room last year (I planted a few seeds from a pepper I ate, just for fun)... I may actually start those early and see if we get anything :) Are peppers self pollinating, or will I have to do that by hand?

I will have to plant some more basil. I had forgotten about it, until I came home today and my mom informed me that my lovely, three-foot tall basil plant is now... a stub. My rabbit found it - end of story.

Oh, and Dandelion Boy definitely knows about all of you :) He was really confused at first as to why I was on a muslim site, but I explained to him that it's the best place online to get gardening information!

Funny story - when he bought me those seeds, his parents weren't aware yet that we were dating. His mother came in one day and saw him surfing the internet for seeds and was like "oh, I didn't know you liked gardening" and he was like "oh...yes... of course...it's a brand new interest of mine!" His mother LOVES gardening so I thought it would be really funny if she put him to work in the garden, when he really doesn't like/know anything about it at all!

And thank you so much for the seed offer... that's very, very nice of you! :)

[Riz]

And you're right about the chili peppers, I forgot how well they did in my room last year (I planted a few seeds from a pepper I ate, just for fun)... I may actually start those early and see if we get anything :) Are peppers self pollinating, or will I have to do that by hand?

hey kirsten..

chilis do self pollinate but they get a helping hand, via insects and windy conditions which spread the pollen around, but if you are growing indoors you can set up a desktop fan for around 5 minutes when the chilis are in flower, or if you dont have the use of the fan, by simply shaking the plant you can easily spread the pollen around :)

[edibles]

wow thats a lot of stuff Kirsten

i have a few things i want grow next year
but i haven't brought any seeds yet

chillies(the ten hottest in the world from eBay)

watermelons one of my all time favorite foods

bananas musa sikkimensis

cucumbers any type

potatoes again any type

red cabbage

mint grows naturally in our garden

chick peas my favourite food in home made stews


I was going to try Mangosteen but its uber ultra extra 150% tropical
i like home grown food it tastes so much nicer than stuff from supermarket

[Riz]

i have a few things i want grow next year
but i haven't brought any seeds yet

chillies(the ten hottest in the world from eBay)salaam..

No need i have all the chili seeds you require, still in its original packaging... I can send them to you now, or you can wait for the new year....

:)

[edibles]

salaam..

No need i have all the chili seeds you require, still in its original packaging... I can send them to you now, or you can wait for the new year....


w/salaam

thanks for the offer but i may have to wait a while before i can grow these i have to convince my parents that they wont take up too much space in the house if it gets cold before i get the chillies to grow and ripen

[Foz]

what do your parents do with them all !?

my mother made them once in a curry , i guess they taste a bit like a turnip ;)

sorry taken me a while to reply..not been online much due to sickness..

they didnt make a curry...made some kind of sweet dish with it....'pumpkin halwa' or something....

[Riz]

halwa, yummy, yummy !!!

[~Obsidian~]

I really want to build those wooden planters, but it's gonna cooost me a ton that I don't have! Any ideas! And if I do manage to build them, I'll have twelve sections to plant in inshaAllah, so I'd need to decide what goes where. Tis seeming a bit far-fetched though atm!

[Hannah_B]

but it's gonna cooost me a ton that I don't have! Any ideas! !

Go to your nearest bank and ask them to lend you some monies. :)

[~Obsidian~]

:p

[Riz]

I really want to build those wooden planters, but it's gonna cooost me a ton that I don't have! Any ideas! And if I do manage to build them, I'll have twelve sections to plant in inshaAllah, so I'd need to decide what goes where. Tis seeming a bit far-fetched though atm!

If you or any of your friends and familes have the odd plank of wood laying around tell them to save it for you , if a neighbour or friends are having there front gardens paved they will probarly have lots of paving bricks deliverd on a wooden pallet, just ask them for the pallet and take it apart using a claw hammer ( its a nice workout) also sometimes if you phone up your local "timberyard" they have lots of "off cuts" that they throw out you could ask them if you can come and take them for FREE most of the time they oblige, Even if its "soft wood" and not treated, well thats ok as well, As you can use old car engine oil to brush into the soft wood and preserve it through the rain and winter, the oil will seal the wood "ghetto style" just paint the oil into it as you would paint a outdoor fence.. It should not end up costing you a lot of money, i am pretty certain you can make 4 or 5 wooden planters ( if the wood is free) for under 10 gbp...

Its always a good idea to always use screws to affix the wood, if you make a mistake you can always unscrew the screw but if you nail it in you will have to use a claw hammer to take the nail back out and it could easily splinter the soft wood.

there are youtube videos that show you how to make planters on the cheap, i will look around and post it up so we can all get an idea of it...

good thinking, its more sweeter if you do everything on the cheap.. gardening can be so inexpensive to do, sometimes you just have to look around for inspiration..

[Riz]

Go to your nearest bank and ask them to lend you some monies. :)

Hellllllooo !!!

two words
credit crunch :)

nice to see you Hannah Begum :)

[Hannah_B]

Hellllllooo !!!

two words
credit crunch :)

nice to see you Hannah Begum :)

I forgot about credit crunch.

And ewwww at Begum!!! :mad:

[~Obsidian~]

Thank you Riz, for some reason I never spotted that reply before....:confused:

[Kirsten]

Yeah, I've been trying to convince Dad to build me a pair of trellises for growing beans and cucumbers, but he's busy and hasn't gotten around to it. Then Mom kept going on about how easy it is to build one and how even she could do it herself and he said "ok, you do it!"

.. and she was very quiet haha
... and i have no trellis as of yet

[~Obsidian~]

:D

We can get ready-made foldable/extendable ones here, pretty cheaply as well! But heck trellises should be easy to build Kirsten, why not have a bash yourself?

[Kirsten]

I think I probably will, as soon as I get my hands on some wood :)

I bought basil seeds and bush beans yesterday. I think I'm all good to go for this year!

[Tania]

Looking after different flowers arrangements for my yard i found this scheme for a small sunny corner:
http://www.gradinamea.ro/Un_colt_insorit_de_gradina_cu_plante_perene_3406_5 86_1.html
In the scheme the capital letters meaning is:
A. Onion - (Allium giganteum)
- quantity: 1
- bloom in june - july
- tall: 90-150 cm


Can be repleaced with:
Asian lily (Lillium Asiatic)
- quantity: 3
- bloom in june - july
- tall: 60-150 cm

B. Aster (Aster 'Purple Dome')
- quantity: 3
- bloom in september
- tall: 45 - 60 cm
- cantitate: 3

Can be replaced with:
Artemisia (Artemisia 'Valerie Finnis')which can grow upto 38-45 cm (tall)

C. Coreopsis (Coreopsis 'Moonbeam')
- quantity: 3
- bloom: all summer :)
- tall : 45-60 cm.
Can be replaced with:
Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema 'Clara Curtis')
- has pink flower, bloom the whole summer and can grow upto 45-60 cm.
D. Echinacea purpurea
- quantity: 3
- bloom from the middle of july upto the end of august
- tall: 76-91 cm .
Can be replaced with:
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'
- yellow flowers which can grow upto 60 cm tall.

E. Iris (Iris Siberica)
- quantity: 2
- bloom: may - june
- tall: 70-91 cm
Can be replaced with:
Lily - another specy (Hemerocallis spp.)
- bloom the whole summer
- tall: 50-*76 cm

F. ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum 'Becky')
- quantity: 1
- bloom in summer
- tall: 76-91 cm
Can be replaced with:
Liatris spicata
- quantity:1
- bloom in summer - the butterflies like this flower
- tall: 90-100cm

G. Nepeta x. faassenii 'Walker's Low'
- quantity: 3
- bloom in summer
- tall: 30-35 cm
Can be replaced with:
Clove pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch)
- bloom: beginning of summer
- tall: 30-40cm

H. Sedum 'Frosty Moon'
- quantity: 3
- bloom: late summer and autumn
- tall: 30 cm.
Can be replace with:
Phlox (Phlox subulata)
- bloom from late spring upto autumn :)
- its easy to grow :)
- i think has still 30 cm.


I am not sure how i will arrange the flower corner but in the above scheme when they wrote 3 at quantity it means i have to buy 3 packs of seeds ? i think can't be 3 seeds.

[Riz]

very nice tania..

i checked out that website.. its a great colour scheme you have chosen, pic 7 and pic 8 are beautiful, and they come back every year, :) and the "alium gladiator" i potted mine in November because it needs the initial cold for
flowering...

let me know what you choose please tania...

ps.. how do i translate that website page into English !!!!!?

[Tania]

Tell me which part from the page do you wish to translate and i will do my best. I translated only the flower part. After the scheme presentation follow instructions for arranging the garden soil.

[Riz]

looks great tania..

is that what you are going for :) !!?

[Tania]

I didn't finish my research. Right now i am reading about the flowers requirments: soil and sun. I will decide this weeks and i will buy the seeds.
I think i will make a small corner with poppies too :)

[Riz]

i was surfing on the bbc gardening website and saw this 1.50 min video on raised vegetable patch.. it looks so simple and easy... here is a link

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/raised-bed-build/

[~Obsidian~]

I had a very ambitious and unrealistic list a few months ago

Cost and reality cut it down, now I'm seeing what I come up with as I go along :p

so far I have

Cucumbers
Garlic
Coriander

..and thats it :o

[Tania]

I bought for the flower garden the following seeds:

Tropaeolum majus (Garden Nasturtium)
Ageratum houstonianum (Flossflower)
Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)
Gazania rigens(Gazania)
Helianthus annuus (Red Sun)
Lathyrus odoratus(Sweet pea)
Dianthus chinesis(Rainbow pink)
Portulaca grandiflora (Moss-rose Purslane or Moss-rose)
Chrysanthemum carinatum(Painted daisy)

and for the vegetable garden:

Phaseolus vulgaris and Phaseolus vulgaris L. (raw and dreid beans)
Cucurbita moschata (pumpkin Moschata di provenza type)
Apium graveolens(Celery)
Thymus vulgaris(Common thyme)
Anethum graveolens(Dill)
Petroselinum crispum(Parsley)
Allium fistulosum(Welsh onion)
Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita pepo L (Field pumpkin)
Rumex acetosa(Garden sorrel)
Spinacia oleracea(Spinach)
Lactuca sativa(Lettuce)

I bought more than the size of my garden but the package looked so good... i couldn't resist to buy them :o

[Riz]

hey tania..

That is a great list.. looks like you are gong to have a very nice herb garden also.. how about garden peas !!?

[farah]

Wow Tania your gardens going to look fantastic!

[Tania]

Thank you Farah and Riz. I have great expectations but lets see how will be the reality. I am at my first experience in gardening.
Riz i will buy peas too. At this point i am confused about the plants requirements. Should i follow what its written on each pack or should i take into consideration what i read in books too ? The alyssum flower in the book says need very poor soil without fertiliser otherwise i will have only leaves without any flowers and on the pack says good soil, including fertiliser. I bought the alyssum because attract insects which are eating the aphids :)

[Riz]

At this point i am confused about the plants requirements. Should i follow what its written on each pack or should i take into consideration what i read in books too ?The alyssum flower in the book says need very poor soil without fertiliser otherwise i will have only leaves without any flowers and on the pack says good soil, including fertiliser. I bought the alyssum because attract insects which are eating the aphids

yeah..
that would be confusing. we will find out for you. ill have a look and get back to you on the alyssum flower..

How big are you planning of having your vegetable patch, what size ?

If its your first time you may not wish to over extend yourself and start of small and then the following season extend your patch, you will surprised what you can grow on a small patch of land, are you going to keep the herb patch separate from your vegetable patch !!?

if you germinate herb seeds outdoors in the ground, just make sure you have loose fluffy soil as the roots will have no issues going down for the moisture, if its clumpy soil they cant penetrate through the tough soil and have to send the roots around the obstacle making the plant work harder.. that's why many growers start of small tiny seeds in small containers and when it develops healthy root ball it can be planted in the herb bed also sometimes espically in Europe we can get change of weather in the evenings were the temperature may drop to zero or lower and that will kill the tiny seedlings in the ground, but if you have them in small containers you can bring the pots indoors so saving them from being frozen.. its worth it to even sow some in pots and sow some in the herb patch just to see how it will all work out.. Its always a good idea to write dates and sowing times in a diary so next season you will have lots more information about what grows best and when in your garden and the best time to germinate seeds.

my flower patch is cool because i have already sown several annual plants so ill get colour every season but i still find more bulbs and seeds to plant, i always add more plants every season instead of everything in one go.. :)
flowers always look fantastic when they are bunched up together, i love ribbons of colours stretching across the garden, it takes time to get the garden the way you want it, its a labour of love every season you will find new and exciting plants for the garden, so that's the beauty of the garden you can change the way it looks.


I have small patch which ill be cultivating very soon i will upload some pics, its quite tiny, in that patch i will grow coriander, basil, some garlic.
I don't have enough to grow pumpkins but i will try to grow one in another section of the garden..

I will also be growing brussel sprouts i found a website were they sell small "plug ins" tiny seedlings were you can plug them straight into the ground or containers, it will save me germinating the seeds.. I will be growing potatoes again this season some in the soil bags ( saves a lot of space) and maybe 1 or 2 in the ground as i have never done that before, Also i will be sowing my onion seeds in mid February indoors ready to be planted in the ground in early may or sooner its the first time i have grown onions so i am excited about them as well....

[~Obsidian~]

Good luck with the onions Riz!

Hmm..I've got some veg seeds and some flower seeds, and I have limited sunny soil space. I have alot of shaded soil though, what can I plant there? I planted daisies there last year, and they grew very slowly.

Here is a VERY dodgy picture showing where I get sunlight/where it is brightest. The yellow shows the soil and how much light I get. The grey is concrete :rolleyes:

[Riz]

how big is the yellow space ?

[Tania]

How big are you planning of having your vegetable patch, what size ?... I will be growing potatoes again this season some in the soil bags ..The whole area has around 80 mp. I want to split in 2: flowers and vegetable(here including the herbs too).I begin to read but without to finish about the culture requirements and depending on that i will make the distribution :o Everything will be sow in the ground. And i will keep a diary too :) How looks the soil bags?

[~Obsidian~]

how big is the yellow space ?

Not that big...and full of rubbish too! the bright yellow space is around 750mmx2500mm...tiny, isn't it!

[Riz]

The whole area has around 80 mp. I want to split in 2: flowers and vegetable(here including the herbs too).I begin to read but without to finish about the culture requirements and depending on that i will make the distribution :o Everything will be sow in the ground. And i will keep a diary too :) How looks the soil bags?

hey tania


regards the asylum flower, i found this website which is very useful and they didn't mention much about the type of soil etc.. i think you will be ok with the soil ...
http://www.mainstreetseedandsupply.com/growing-alyssum-flowers.htm

the soil bags i used are the ones i got the soil from the store in, i used them to grow potatoes, here is the link to the potato grow. http://www.muslimgrower.com/discussionforum/showthread.php?t=9

[Riz]

Not that big...and full of rubbish too! the bright yellow space is around 750mmx2500mm...tiny, isn't it!

so how big is that in feet ? lol

you youngsters and your European measuring system :D

[~Obsidian~]

*sigh*

Can't teach an old dog new tricks :D

Erm 1 sec

2.43x8.11 feeeet

(not that I mean you're a dog lol, its just a saying!)

[Riz]

*sigh*

Can't teach an old dog new tricks :D

Erm 1 sec

2.43x8.11 feeeet

(not that I mean you're a dog lol, its just a saying!)

woof !!

so whats to the left of the yellow growing space !?

[Tania]

I bought a pack of peas - Kelvedon wonder type. I have to find now the peas thread :)

[~Obsidian~]

woof !!

so whats to the left of the yellow growing space !?

Concrete!!