[sarahevers]

I have just been given a walled Victorian kitchen garden to do with as I please, but I am relatively new to growing stuff. I am in Northumberland and just wondered if anyone could tell me what type of things I can plant now? The plot has 2 greenhouses and a cold frame - I don't know if these make a difference to what I will be able to grow. My two year old is also really excited about planting seeds so any info on things that grow quickly from seed would be great too

Thanks

Sarah 

[Mickyork]

Hi Sarah & welcome. You are in the right place for any help. There are lot's of good posts & nice helpful people here.   

[bibs]

Hi
just off the top of my head , you can put winter lettuces in and endives - prepare ground for a sowing of broad beans in November , same for garlic and onions ( for an early crop next year although main planting time is March April  - I am in Dorset so it might be a touch warmer here) . Rhubarb crowns can be planted in october ..... If you want to do onions from seed - august is your month , you can also do salad onions now to eat in spring. You could also do a short rooted variety of carrots now to eat in November December but they would need to be covered with a cloche from october onwards. Spring cabbages too - sow now for spring greens.
You could do the lettuces in the cold frame. ( and the carrots )
Quick results come with the packets of mixed salad leaves which you could still sow now ( especially in your greenhouse - I do mine in those big plastic fish boxes ). Also radishes will still work and are quite quick. Your garden sounds lovely. The soil has probably been nurtured but it may be an idea to start putting some dung on it. ( but not where you are going to sow roots because they don't like it ).
All the best
Good luck !

[sarahevers]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. I will talk to my local farmers about manure and get digging. I was especially pleased with your advice about the cold frame and green house as I really want to get a lot of use out of these because I've never had them before. I'm going out tomorrow to get some short carrot seed.

I am really lucky to have the garden, you walk in through a tiny gate in the wall and then it is the closest thing I have ever seen to 'the secret garden', it's quite beautiful. It already has established fruit trees and bushes, which unfortunately have been left to their own devices for a number of years, so after I've done some research I am going to try and bring them all back to full productiveness.

I may not have a lot of knowledge on the subject of grow your own, but I have a lot of enthusiasm, and I keep finding little gems like this site where people are more than happy to help out with advice and things they have learned themselves.

Thank you again

Sarah

[bibs]

Hi again - yes , your green house will be a fantastic bonus and you'll be able to get all of your seedlings going in there - busy time for that is march. Your plot sounds really beautiful - just needs some TLC. You are right about this site - it is really useful. I found it when I was looking for info on cattle , we'd had a dead calf and I wanted to find out how to help the cow adopt another calf - I had loads of helpful and sympathetic replies which is why I try to reply to stuff on the rare occasions that I get time to be on here!!
I hope you grow a wonderful garden
Keep me posted !
Bibs

[Fleecewife]

Hi Sarah - you have found my dream !! A walled garden - heaven !  There was one near where we used to live on the outskirts of Edinburgh and it was used as a dumping ground.  I hope someone has rescued it by now.

Be a bit careful of manure - I have written elsewhere about farmers' use of certain wormers (Ivermectins) in their animals which persist in the manure and kill compost worms and earthworms.  Earthworms are vital for the health of your soil and compost worms help the other micro-organisms to break down your compost.  So check with any farmer you approach just what wormers might be in the  manure you buy.  Probably small stables could be a better bet, as long as they bed on straw, as many horse owners use milder wormers such as Panacur, which does not cause a problem. Also sheep and horse manure are possibly the best types to use for veggies, rather than cow, as they eat hay which makes nice bulky waste  

You may not know much yet but soon you will be an expert.  Many people have growing in their blood and I bet you are one of those.  Your project sounds wonderful and I hope you will keep us all up to date with your progress.  Don't forget to take notes as there's a book in there too - from newbie to successful walled gardener  

[ellisr]

I have just been given a walled Victorian kitchen garden to do with as I please, but I am relatively new to growing stuff. I am in Northumberland and just wondered if anyone could tell me what type of things I can plant now? The plot has 2 greenhouses and a cold frame - I don't know if these make a difference to what I will be able to grow. My two year old is also really excited about planting seeds so any info on things that grow quickly from seed would be great too

Thanks

Sarah 

Where abouts in Northumberland I was born in Hexham and miss it soo much as I live in Somerset now. You want to be thinking about your onions from seed and see if you can get a hold of some leek plants as they are a good northern staple and grow well.

[hexhammeasure]

Lucky you!! digging over and manuring now to set your overwintering onions and leeks and garlic, broad beans winter cabbage late peas... lots you can do. where abouts are you? I am in the hexham area and have some spare young leeks if you want them

Oh I just checked I see you aren't too far away

[sarahevers]

Where abouts in Northumberland I was born in Hexham and miss it soo much as I live in Somerset now. You want to be thinking about your onions from seed and see if you can get a hold of some leek plants as they are a good northern staple and grow well.
[/quote]

I am in Bellingham, so not far from Hexham at all