The next priority is to decide how much space - if any - you want to devote to food growing, and to work out exactly where to site the vegetable plot and herb garden, if you want these areas.
A greenhouse naturally needs full sun, good access to it and preferably a hard surface area around it, as it soon becomes another centre of activity within the garden. if you can combine it with or site it next to the tool shed, or any other necessary small structure, so much the better. When wrongly sited, greenhouses can dominate the whole garden and, despite recent attempts to improve their appearance, they are seldom handsome structures. If the greenhouse cannot be a lean-to or an extension of the house, try to site the freestanding building, running east to west, to one side of the main view.
To give some indication of the amount of space which vegetables take up: an area of 84 sq m (300 sq ft) would provide a family of four with sufficient lettuces, runner beans, peas, carrots and turnips in summer, and with leeks, cabbages and sprouts in winter. But of course great pleasure can be obtained from growing your own produce, even if you do not have enough space to make the enterprise really economic, and the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables is reward in itself.
The type of vegetables you grow will dictate the size of the plot, and this will determine how near the house it can be. Potatoes, most root crops and fruit and vegetables which need forcing, such as rhubarb and chicory, all take a lot of space. Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach-which is useful since the 'perpetual' variety goes on and on-are often well worth growing. For a busy family with little spare time, it is perhaps best to concentrate on salad crops.
The fron garden should welcome your guests and provide safe and easy access to the door in all weather. Good lighting and a clearly visible house number are essential. The front garden will probably need to house several of the service items and you may want a parking space for one or more cars.
Many vegetables can be incorporated decoratively in the garden plan. Red cabbages look striking, runner beans can be grown up a fence, and artichoke plants are visually interesting and can be used to screen a compost heap, while marrows and courgettes are most attractive hanging over a wall from the edge of a raised bed. Raised beds look effective and can be worked into a terrace if space is limited; they are excellent for old people since they are far easier to work.
A greenhouse naturally needs full sun, good access to it and preferably a hard surface area around it, as it soon becomes another centre of activity within the garden. if you can combine it with or site it next to the tool shed, or any other necessary small structure, so much the better. When wrongly sited, greenhouses can dominate the whole garden and, despite recent attempts to improve their appearance, they are seldom handsome structures. If the greenhouse cannot be a lean-to or an extension of the house, try to site the freestanding building, running east to west, to one side of the main view.
To give some indication of the amount of space which vegetables take up: an area of 84 sq m (300 sq ft) would provide a family of four with sufficient lettuces, runner beans, peas, carrots and turnips in summer, and with leeks, cabbages and sprouts in winter. But of course great pleasure can be obtained from growing your own produce, even if you do not have enough space to make the enterprise really economic, and the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables is reward in itself.
The type of vegetables you grow will dictate the size of the plot, and this will determine how near the house it can be. Potatoes, most root crops and fruit and vegetables which need forcing, such as rhubarb and chicory, all take a lot of space. Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach-which is useful since the 'perpetual' variety goes on and on-are often well worth growing. For a busy family with little spare time, it is perhaps best to concentrate on salad crops.
The fron garden should welcome your guests and provide safe and easy access to the door in all weather. Good lighting and a clearly visible house number are essential. The front garden will probably need to house several of the service items and you may want a parking space for one or more cars.
Many vegetables can be incorporated decoratively in the garden plan. Red cabbages look striking, runner beans can be grown up a fence, and artichoke plants are visually interesting and can be used to screen a compost heap, while marrows and courgettes are most attractive hanging over a wall from the edge of a raised bed. Raised beds look effective and can be worked into a terrace if space is limited; they are excellent for old people since they are far easier to work.
0 comments:
Post a Comment