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Hello from a newbie

Jennie7Jennie7 Posts: 14
in Fruit & veg

Hi!

i have been lurking and reading back through the threads for some time but feel it's time to be brave and introduce myself!  I have been very lucky as following a lot of work my raised beds are finally ready and waiting for planting.  I am a newbie to raised beds and have limited experience of vegetable growing but I am keen to learn and I understand there will be a mixture of successes and failures over the coming years to learn from. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions to ask image.

I have a 4 year old (hence some of the garden decorations in the photos!) and I have such fond memories of gardening with my grandparents when I was young and hope to encourage my little one to take an active part and appreciate how our food is grown and how it gets to our plates.

I have hopefully attached a couple of photos to give you a rough idea where I'm starting from.  I have already started sowing seeds in the greenhouse and I'm thrilled that I already have signs of life image

 

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Posts

  • star gaze lilystar gaze lily Posts: 17,653

    Hi Jennie7, pleased to meet you image

    Love the raised beds.

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Hi Jennie and welcome.  As SGL said, those raised beds look fab! image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Hi Jennie and welcome image  What a lovely garden you have - and great raised beds image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Welcome! How exciting!
  • KelsbelsKelsbels Posts: 54

    Hi Jennie, they look wonderful! I too am starting with raised beds for the first time yesterday, looking forward to sharing success stories!image

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Hello Jennie and welcome, always ask the question you will get an answer from the good people on this board.

    Right children love things they can pick and eat so start your 4year old off with strawberries, peas, baby carrots. All can be planted by children along the edges of your boxes. I did that with my grand children, still do they love it. Buy your strawberry plants from a garden centre or nursery, you will get some fruit this year that way though more the next two years. Peas they pick from the bush and eat from the pod and why not they planted them. A small carrot variety will be quick growing and so sweet straight from the ground washed.

    For your self divide the boxes into sections and plant rows of seed or plants, salad stuff such as lettuce or cut and come again salad crops can be sown on a fortnightly gap to give you greens for all summer and even into winter. Keep a diary and rotate your crops on a yearly basis, that means do not grow the same crop in the same place year on year, I used a four year cycle as one crop can feed the soil for the next years crop.

    One tip be mean with your planting, a glut you cannot use or give away is heartbreaking, little and often and more interesting. Good luck, get some seed down, yes you will lose some though what grows will make up for it, eternal optimists us gardeners.

    Frank

  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286

    Hi Jennie love the raised beds, you are putting me to shame, it all looks in great shape. Reminds me I need to get out and do more work on my own veg patch. image

    I started my lad off young in the garden, if you can get them to feel they are doing a job independently it really helps them enjoy it. He's 17 now and is always willing to help out in the garden.. He still likes to sow a tray or two of seeds, and is responsible for starting off the many pots of herbs I have. He is training to be a chef so he sees the benefit of fresh herbs.image

  • Jennie7Jennie7 Posts: 14

    Thank you all for your warm welcome and kind comments image

    Kelsbels - good luck hopefully we'll be able to share some success stories later in the year!

    Frank  - thanks for your advice, I had planned on peas and carrots but may add strawberries to my ever growing list!  I do alternate from panicking I haven't got enough to plant to thinking I have too much. I'm trying to keep a diary so that if I overdo/underdo I can learn a lesson for next year.

     GemmaJF - my 4 year old is keen but easily distracted!

    off to work the 6pm-midnight shift, after a productive afternoon in the garden I'm worried all the fresh air has tired me out image but it was a lovely chance to enjoy the sunshine.

  • mrpinkmrpink Posts: 4

    Those raised beds are absolutely gorgeous! Very jealous. Something to consider for my next project for sure.

  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Hi Jennie glad you took the plunge and joined in image Lovely green house I like mine more than my house image 

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