Friday 3 January 2014

Gardening advice for Beginners - Part 2

At this time of year a lot of people will be making "resolutions" or plans for the New Year. One of these might perhaps be to take up gardening.


Now, some people think of gardening as being easy: just pop a few seeds in the ground, wait a while, and then pick bountiful crops of healthy veg and colourful flowers. Actually, it's not quite like that. Having been a gardener for more than 30 years, I can tell you that gardening as a hobby is absorbing and rewarding, but also sometimes frustrating and always uncertain! The biggest problem with which gardeners in the UK have to contend is our unpredictable climate. In other parts of the world weather conditions may not be quite so variable, but here you never know what is going to happen. In our Summer months (June, July and August) it might be bright sunny and blazing hot ("blazing hot" to us is anything above 30 C), but equally it might be cold, wet and windy - or more probably just dull and grey!

Today I am offering a few tips that could be of assistance to a novice setting out on the gardening "journey" for the first time. All that follows is just my opinion you understand...

#1. Don't start at this time of year!  Seriously, it would be better to wait until at least March, by which time the weather will hopefully have improved a bit and the days will certainly have got longer. If you sow seeds in January they will almost inevitably go leggy (tall, thin and spindly), for lack of light. Seed merchants often claim that their seeds will perform well on a sunny windowsill - but where do you find a sunny windowsill in the UK in January??? If you are determined to sow seeds early in the year, you will need to keep them indoors, so you will probably need one of these:


It is a set of Growlights, aka a Growlight House. It provides artificial daylight (and a small amount of warmth) ideal for growing seedlings. The height of the lamp part is adjustable so that you can keep the distance between the plants and the light just right. If you want to grow chillis (which are currently the IN thing), then one of these contraptions is probably necessary, since chillis have a long growing season and you do need to start early if you plan on having ripe chillis before the weather turns cold again. My one is a "Garland Grow Light Garden", priced at approx £60.

#2. Get a greenhouse. This could be a "proper" greenhouse (i.e. with glass), but it doesn't have to be. I don't have a proper greenhouse, but I now have four of these:


These little Mini Greenhouses come in various sizes. Mine are all the two-tier ones, because I found the taller ones to be too unstable (they are very lightweight and can easily get blown away unless weighted-down with bricks or some such). Of course they are supplied in kit form, but they are very easy to assemble (and disassemble when required, to save space). Unlike a permanent greenhouse these little ones can be moved around the garden very easily. I use them a lot, mainly for protecting young seedlings in the Spring time. Price: about £12 or £15. Good value for money!

#3. Get some cloches. The word "cloche" is used generically for a transparent item used for protecting plants from the weather (and from animals in my case). They are available in countless permutations: round "Bell-cloches"; artistic hexagonal shapes; basic v-shapes made with just two sheets of glass; or long ones like these:


The ones in the photo above are "Longrow Super Cloches" made by Parasene, but widely available. The concept is good, though I have been disappointed by the flimsy nature of these particular items, especially since they cost about £35 each. To be honest, you could easily make something like this yourself. The benefit of the cloche is that with its protection plants can be sown / planted earlier in the Spring, and kept going later into the Autumn.

#4. Plan your growing-area. All the kit described above is desirable, but strictly speaking not necessary. But what you do need is somewhere to grow your plants. It doesn't have to be a big space. You can grow some pretty decent plants in pots and containers of various sorts on a little patio or balcony, but I have to warn you that gardening is addictive. However much space you have, you will probably want twice as much!


My preferred way to grow vegetables is to use raised beds like these:


Raised beds are very controversial. Some people think they are a waste of time (and materials), but I am strongly in favour. For me the advantages are these: they allow you to concentrate your efforts and your fertilisers / composts / mulches etc) on only the parts of your garden that need them; they allow you to provide a greater depth of soil; raised beds warm up quicker in the Spring than soil at natural ground level; and (being a bit of an OCD person myself) they keep the garden looking neater and more under control!

#5. Team-up with an experienced buddy. Gardening is a complex thing, and knowledge of it grows with experience. Talk to / consult / work with someone who has more experience than you, and pick their brains. How else will you know how well you are doing, or what is normal, or when something needs watering, or when something is ready for harvesting...? If your Dad (or Grandad) is a keen gardener (and you get on OK with him), maybe he could be your mentor. It certainly worked for me. Both our daughters have grown up to be keen gardeners, and I undoubtedly also inherited the love of this hobby from my Dad. Another option would be to join a forum of some sort. I'm a member of UK Veg Gardeners, a good source of ideas, inspiration and advice. I'll demonstrate the concept here with one of my favourite photos ever - our first granddaughter Lara taking a close interest in my garden from a very early age:


I could go on for ever about this sort of thing, but I think I'll stop ("Phew", I hear you say...). I'll end with one final piece of advice:

#6. If you plan to grow vegetables, grow something that your family will enjoy eating. Don't waste your time growing something that no-one likes. Maybe also explore the concept of Value for Space Rating (VSR) before you begin, and don't grow something that is really cheap and readily available.

Happy gardening, folks!

21 comments:

  1. All very valid points & like you I prefer using raised beds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Too many people take on an allotment thinking it is easy and quite quickly fall by the wayside. Overheard one newbie say - I came and weeded it all last month and just look now.

    Must admit raised beds in your setting is a good idea but on an allotment you can get a similar advantage just dividing beds using paths. Lots on site end up taking up the boards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think a lot of people lack "staying power", and they take on an allotment without proper consideration of the prolonged and repeated effort it must require (here's me pontificating, when I have never even had an alloment myself..).

      Delete
  3. Well advised and shared Mark.
    If things go to plan, I may have a new growing space. I have often wondered about the growlights and it is something I may consider in the future.PS I may be coming to you soon, begging for seeds to start me off again :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shaheen; I would be delighted to make a contribution to help you re-establish. DM me on Twitter if I can help.

      Delete
  4. This is all good and sensible advice and an inspiring read. I've never managed to follow much theory in my garden. Light, drainage, position of plants that need light in relation to ones which obscure it, inability to get rid of leather jackets . . . mean my garden's a not very interesting muddle. One can but dream. (Your OCD would go into an over-drive of terror were you to visit here!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like raised beds too. They provide a spot that you never walk on and keeps the soil from getting compacted. But you don't need sides to them and be expensive. I like it that way because it keep the soil in place (no erosion problems during heavy rainstorms), but it isn't necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My vegetable garden is all grow beds, too but made of plastic by Gardeners Supply. I love gardening that way. Right now though all is covered with snow!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your last point is one I've worked out for myself after a few years' growing my own. I'm sticking to things I like and that I think maybe someone else will eat as well! Those little greenhouses are handy. I've got one as well, and I stick a bag of compost on the bottom shelf sometimes if it's particularly windy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Perfect advice, Mark ! I see myself as a beginner once again. Starting anew. I also love raised beds for all the obvious reasons.
    I have to remember to start small as not to get overwhelmed and discouraged by the enormous amount of work that lies ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great information and helpful even to an experienced gardener. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have been reading since I came across your blog at the end of last year as I am intending to take on the garden at our new house. I have big plans but I shall try to start small! Thanks for the tips, they are gratefully received.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jenni; Thanks for introducing yourself. I hope you will tell me/us about your new garden - do you have a blog of your own?

      Delete
    2. Thank you for welcoming me here, yes indeed I do have a blog. It's here http://gingerbisquite.co.uk/home/picking-seeds-for-2014/ -

      Delete
  11. Hi Mark. really like the layout of your blog and some sound advice for anyboby wanting to start growing veg. I think alot of people start their stuff away far to early when they dont have the means of keeping it growing and therefore get discouraged.

    Hoss

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for sharing all this valuable information; in this post and in all your other posts. I always read them with great interest.
    I do not have raised beds in my garden, but I can definitely see the appeal.
    I'm considering investing in a cold frame this spring. I'll have to search the net to find out how to use one correctly. Where do I position it? In the shade, half shade or bright sunlight? Do I fill it with compost and sow directly or do I leave it empty and fill it up with pots? Do I only use the cold frame in spring and autumn, or also in the summer? Will probably have to leave the lid open, lest I fry everything inside. Question, questions.....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hmm, will there be a Gardening Advice for beginners part 2? Please???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's the reply to your questions about Coldframes: I use mine in Spring for protecting young seedlings, and in Winter for protecting pots of herbs. Mine is in a position that gets some sun, but not all day. A fair amount of light is desirable. I put seed-trays and pots in it, I do not fill it with compost, since I want it to be moveable (I put it in the garage out of the way when not in use). I open and close the lid quite often, in order to adjust the temperature - warm but not hot is good! If you put "Coldframe" into the search box at the top left of the blog page you will get some more info. Hope this helps.

      Delete
  14. Really clear and helpful. Loved the photo of your grandaughter. I enjoy gardening with my two - tho there is quite a lot more mud-pie making and hole-digging than gardening!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love the use of space in your garden! As I am begining my adventure in the world of gardening I follow your posts and carefully study your advice and experience, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love your tips! I am a beginner when it comes to gardening and I basically don't know anything so for me it is amazing to find such interesting posts about gardening! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking time to leave me a comment! Please note that Comment Moderation is enabled for older posts.