[Digmoweed]

Hello all

My names mat and i have had a good idea, turn my garden into a big veggy patch 

First of i thought i thought i would post here to say hi, so hi
I live in sometimes sunny southampton and weve recently moved to a new house, our last house i built a nice patio over the whole garden but this time i thought we would try growing vegetables, missus blames a programme i started watching, the good life.

I have to finish a pond im building then i will be starting to get the rest of the garden done, so hopefully beginning of next year i will have a decent patch for growing.

Im sure as time goes on i will have lots of questions as i dont have a clue what to do yet but im keen on learning so with a little help from youu guys hopefully next year i will have a few carrots and spuds for my hard work.

So hi again and glad i found this great site
Enjoy the rest of your sunday


Mat

[Beewyched]

Hiya Mat & welcome from a  West Scotland 
The Good Life that's on TV at the moment is hysterical    - I can't believe as a child watching the original programme & believing it all 
I grew-up on a smallholding -  ,    ,  ,    and the usual fruit & veg.  Worked on a hill farm with    & beef    as a teenager.  Now living in Scotland with my OH & well ... as per footer ...
This is a brill forum - loadsa friendly & supportive folks on here - a bit like an extended family (including the squabbles & tantrums    )
A pond?  Is that for ducks? 
 

[Digmoweed]

The pond is for fish, japanese koi to be exact

Ive always wanted a pond since i was a lad but never had one, now that im grown up  ( wife would disagree) Ive decided to build myself one.

I think the hardest part for me will be making the most of the garden for veg as its not all that big and there is 5 of us here 2 adults and 3 kids.
Saying that i am waiting to hear back from someone who has several fields, he keeps a horse in one but does nothing with the others so if he gives me the go ahead i will have plenty of room for veg herbs and a few chickens.

Ive also applied for a space at the local allotmen t but that has a 3 year waiting list so dont hold much hope there.


Mat

[Mammyshaz]

Hello and welcome from a warm but overcast Durham 

We have a couple of allotments here with fruit, veg and hens. Just learning as we go basically. There's loads of great advice on here to help. It's trying to keep me on the right track with the growing, I tend to find the answer AFTER the disaster occurs 

An unused field sounds great, if you do get it  good luck it will open the gates to many, many ideas           

[deepinthewoods]

hi from cornwall.
start with a few square meters, just to get some crops coming, then expand with time. i started with 1 lettuce.....

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome  !

I saw a good pic on fb a few weeks ago and stole it for the TAS fb page. It was lettuce growing in five lengths of guttering fixed to a wall, one above the other. If you haven't got much space, that migt save you a bit 

[Digmoweed]

Hi and welcome  !

I saw a good pic on fb a few weeks ago and stole it for the TAS fb page. It was lettuce growing in five lengths of guttering fixed to a wall, one above the other. If you haven't got much space, that migt save you a bit 

Excellent idea, and think im gonna use the idea

Thanks

Mat

[Beewyched]

Hi Mat (or should I say Peter Pan    )
Get the children involved in the gardening - it's a great family project & they'll learn how to look after it ( just make sure you supervise A LOT in the beginning - I don't know how many lettuce seedlings mine used to "weed" for me  ).
Chickens are great    - nothing like your own, fresh eggs.  Not too sure about those Koi though - they may have to give way to ducks in the non too distant future 
 

[Digmoweed]

Hi Mat (or should I say Peter Pan    )
Get the children involved in the gardening - it's a great family project & they'll learn how to look after it ( just make sure you supervise A LOT in the beginning - I don't know how many lettuce seedlings mine used to "weed" for me  ).
Chickens are great    - nothing like your own, fresh eggs.  Not too sure about those Koi though - they may have to give way to ducks in the non too distant future 

My kids love gardening so they will be out there as much as me which is a great bonus

The koi are staying though  to much work and money gone into it now to give it up, plus my friend has ducks so i can look at hers 


Mat

[Beewyched]

Hi Mat (or should I say Peter Pan    )
Get the children involved in the gardening - it's a great family project & they'll learn how to look after it ( just make sure you supervise A LOT in the beginning - I don't know how many lettuce seedlings mine used to "weed" for me  ).
Chickens are great    - nothing like your own, fresh eggs.  Not too sure about those Koi though - they may have to give way to ducks in the non too distant future 

My kids love gardening so they will be out there as much as me which is a great bonus

The koi are staying though  to much work and money gone into it now to give it up, plus my friend has ducks so i can look at hers 


Mat

My OH dug a small pond here at the beginning of the "summer", not for fish, hoping to plant round it & attract some more wildlife into the garden - well, no plant in or around it, but it's definately got "wildlife" using it - our geese just love it 

[Digmoweed]

Hi Mat (or should I say Peter Pan    )
Get the children involved in the gardening - it's a great family project & they'll learn how to look after it ( just make sure you supervise A LOT in the beginning - I don't know how many lettuce seedlings mine used to "weed" for me  ).
Chickens are great    - nothing like your own, fresh eggs.  Not too sure about those Koi though - they may have to give way to ducks in the non too distant future 

Why peter pan?

[Beewyched]

...

Ive always wanted a pond since i was a lad but never had one, now that im grown up  ( wife would disagree) ...


Mat

[Digmoweed]

...

Ive always wanted a pond since i was a lad but never had one, now that im grown up  ( wife would disagree) ...


Mat

Got ya 

Was trying to think of someone in peter pan called digmoweed lol

[Lesley Silvester]

   and welcome from cloudy Shropshire.  I am a back garden smallholder with three goats, fruit trees and bushes and veg beds.  No kids at home to need space for though, other than the    kid.

[SmallTimeSmallholder]

Hi Digmoweed, (love the name!)
A very warm welcome from a sunny south east 
This is a fabulous site, full of warm, friendly, knowledgable and experienced people, oh, and us beginners! You'll get all the help you need here, I'm sure and I expect you'll be able to help some others out along their way too!
Good luck with your new venture