Blank Canvas

Congratulations on your move Paul and, more importantly, your garden

I would think that the ground will be very much affected by the Leylandii so the first thing would be to check the ph of the soil, there are loads of fairly inexpensive kits on the market. If you saw my garden, you wouldn't want my advice but I will say, only grow what you like and take it a bit at a time, even the best gardens are always evolving. Oh, and have fun

Personally I would split the garden in half; use the top half for the pond and flowers, bottom half for veg. Use either soft fruit bushes or a fence with attractive climbing flowers to divide it and go from there.

What veg do you like? What do you eat a lot of? That's what you grow (climate dependent).

Which direction does your garden face and how much sun does it get? You will have more scope in a sunny. south facing garden than a dull north facing garden.

I would push the veg to the back and maybe get some fruit trees cordoned behind those. A greenhouse would be a must for me, even if an inexpensive one to start with - good for your chilli and pepper growing. You could create it potager style with some raised beds, gravel paths, flower borders to front, lawn in front of that with your pond in there somewhere - maybe look at a rill instead of a standard pond shape and use it to delineate your garden area from your veg area. You need to know which way your garden points really and where the sun moves throughout the day. This will really dictate what goes where.
Welcome to the techie!

Hi Paul and Welcome to the Other Side
You need to decide how you want to use your garden first. Consider whether you need space for kids, pets, sitting out, BBQ, shed, greenhouse, compost.
Then work out the sunniest parts of your garden where you may want to concentrate your sitting out space/leisure area and greenhouse. Next give space to your veggies and so on until the shed and compost end up in the shadiest spot.
Personally I wouldn't split the garden in half - why have a garden of 2 halves? Secret corners -yes, meandering paths - definitely - but I would integrate the veg with the rest of the garden, not treat it like a poor relation.
When you've given it more thought, come back and we can refine it!!

You need some squared paper for planning on, and you need to know which way north is.

Then, post some photos of the plot on here so we can have a look-see

When I had my first garden there were three books I used extensively. Two by Geoff Hamilton and Gaye Search called First Time Garden and First Time Planting. Third one was by Gaye Search and is Old Garden, New Gardener. None of them cover vegetable growing but are really useful and not patronising. They were published by BBC books in the 90s, now out of print, but last time I checked were available online through Amazon or such like. Enjoy your new garden and has been said before take it bit by bit.

You could cut tiny holes in the blank canvas and grow through it..............

..at least the blank canvas will keep the weeds down

Don't bother testing for PH, lime it, unless you want Bluberries and not on land coming new potatoes. Those conifers will have sucked it dry of everything.

Don't bother growing veg you can easily buy cheap like main crop potatoes, onions. If you grow Brassicas especially Cauliflowers you will need the Samaritans phone number.

Don't allow straight lines anywhere.

We all love greenhouses but be honest folk,they just aren't worth it.. they are too hot in summer and too cold in winter, all they do is hoard junk. I bet less than 10% are used effectively. Tomatoes grow just as well outside, with a bit of shelter.

The number one 'must do' is get some new potatoes in, you just can't buy them as good as home grown!

Number two, plant some fruit trees (in the sun)- now! it's about the only thing you can do at the moment

happy days are on the way

Decide how much time, money and effort you want to spend.
Think about how you'll use the garden. (And how pets, kids,. etc)

Watch the sun - or use a sun tracker site to see what parts are sunny as that'll influence what you plant where.

http://suncalc.net/#/51.6255,-4.0261...12.11.27/19:20

Don't feel you have to tuck the veggies at the back.

I started with a blank canvas - literally as it didn't even have much topsoil and certainly no vegetation - and ended up with the veg plot along the front of the house in full view of the living room. Many vegetables are very pretty and I have marigolds and nasturtiums and the like in the veg plots too.

And it means on wet days I can see what has grown, what needs doing and what I might fancy eating all from the comfort of indoors!!

I would say that there is no such thing as a blank canvas to start with, your site will dictate certain things and you need to respond to those when planning the area.

The location of the site is first and foremost, where in the country you are will dictate when you start growing things, and will determine what type of weather you have. Here in Wales for example we get lots of water, so watering and storing water is less prevalent, than free draining soil.

Your site specifics come next it may have walls around it, it maybe exposed to strong winds, it might be on a hill or in the bottom of a valley all things which will help determine how to protect, support, and nurture any produce.

Next you need to look at how much time you are prepared to commit to it, and how often you intend to use it, these are important as there is no point starting off loads of vegetables if you can only spare some time every couple of weeks in the summer. Starting off small and growing into it is far preferable than becoming downbeat from taking on more than you can chew.

When you have some ideas on these then get your graph paper out and mark out the area, work out where north is and see how light tracks around your site, and which parts are in shade if any from neighbouring buildings trees etc.

Next my top tip would be get onto freecycle for your area or alternative and see if you have any stables nearby willing to give you horse manure for nowt, the more broken down and rotten the better, most are happy to give it away as they have to pay to have it removed normally.

When planning your veg, think about what you like to eat and what costs you most when shopping, prioritise space to the expensive items and to those which lose flavour quickly after picking, this is always a good way to initially layout your space. Personally I love sweetcorn, and when you realise that the sugars turn to starch within 20 minutes of picking its a good reason why not to buy corn on the cob in the supermarket.

Good Luck Paul, you'll always have plenty of people here to answer your queries.

My garden in year 2 from a new build house with a brown blank canvas! Love it love it I do, just not really big enough
Herbaceous borders are king, forget shrubs and stupid spring flowering bulbs, leave those for the parks where they look great. My garden is high maintenance though, so depends what you want from it, but anything is possible.

My earlier point about growing veg is that some are cheap enough in the shops and don't necessarily taste any less good than home grown, eg, taties & onions, but I agree re sweetcorn, wow, Arron Pilot new potatoes are on a par with foreplay. Sprouting Broccoli better than shop/farm bought asparagus. So don't waste room growing stuff that isn't necessary!

Usually the bigger the seed the easier it is to grow.
Potatoes, Broad Beans a sinch, onions from sets are childs play but no point ( I'm only jealous cos I haven't enough room). Sweetcorn easy as is Beetroot and good, Leeks simples. Brassicas attract cabbage white butterfly and just spoil your whole day.

Instant garden but only for cheats; go to your local market in spring, usually a stall holder selling veg plug plants 20 for a £, can often work out cheaper than seed and an instant row of established veg

For instant height in year one sweet peas are a doddle and a must, forgot all the nonsense you hear about toilet rolls, 4 seed in lickle pot Feb and leave outside, go look end of march and marvel at them, it doesn't get easier, unless like me you use last years old spent compost
Fed up with winter now, roll on spring....

I Have 3 fruit trees yet to squeeze in somewhere!

HowMuch? ... so controversial: have we met you before?


The cheap ones maybe

Blight ...?

What else do you have flowering in the spring border then?

And an instant dose of clubroot or white rot if you're unlucky

LOL. How to win friends !