This is our first year in our new house and there's so much unpacking and sorting to do.  


But I'm so excited at having a 'proper' garden again after the last seven years where we had a windey front drive with enormous flower beds either side.  Then at the back a large paved patio with area above the house to grow vegetables and fruit.  

Back garden at Primley Park

The area up top was a good size but the soil was pretty bad and it was quite a windy site so we did grow things like potatoes and broccoli but it wasn't easy to grow other fruit and veg.

Now we have a nice front garden - lawn with flower border, facing due south with a hedge along the front.

The back is a good size with patio and steps leading down to a large lawned area with flower beds either side and a big shed.  

However, there are two big problems:   the soil is solid clay in parts and floods and becomes waterlogged.  These two must be linked - if we improve the soil this also may improve the drainage.  And if this doesn't work then perhaps some sort of drainage channel underneath the garden may be advised.

So this year I've started small.   Firstly we've installed a big compost heap to make our own compost to put on the garden.  We've also started storing leaves to make some good leaf mould a year or so hence.

We bought three one metre square raised beds and positioned them artistically at the side of the lawn.  In the left hand flower bed we've positioned the new compost bin and to the right of it we've planted potatoes.  An easy crop which requires no work after banking up and potatoes tend to break up the soil.  However they've  become so waterlogged that I wonder how many actual potatoes we'll realise.

In the beds I've planted:

Tiger the cat photobombed pic of the three raised beds

No 1 (left):  strawberries with a mulch of bark.

No 2 (middle):  some broad beans, peas, carrots and three sprout (or broccoli?) plants

No 3 right): runner beans, courgettes and a few flowers.

In another part of the garden I've planted some raspberry canes and blackcurrants ready to plant in the proper veg plot when the soil's been improved.


One thing I've realised already is that peas can be a pain.  They're simple enough to plant and provide supports, so long as the mice don't eat them before they germinate.

But it's important to comprehensively look all every plant regularly, otherwise  the peas get missed and by the time they're found they're too old and dry.  

On the other hand the time and energy used picking the peas before they've fully developed in their pods, then shelling them to find tiny little grains of baby peas inside is rather frustrating.  

So, on the advice of my cousin who knows a lot about these things, I'm going to try growing mange tout next year.  

Then the whole pea pod can be picked and eaten.  This'll mean less work, more for us to eat - but less waste for the compost heap.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/peas

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingpeas1.shtml

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-grow-peas