making the most of small garden area

Hi Everyone,
I would really love to grow my own veg but i dont have that much space.....  my garden is HUGE However most of space is taken up by chickens, ducks, goats & bunnies. lol

I have some space in the front garden i could grow but its a fairly small area about 15x15ft.

What veg/fruit etc... would be best for small area part shade.

I want to make the most of the space,  i have an apple tree planted in the front garden
which now im thinking prob wasnt that great an idea....

I was thinking of planting some of the more expensive fruit and veg,  potatoes, carrots, etc... are fairly cheap and not really enough room for veg like that,

Maybe i need to move my animals about a bit, see if i can make some room.

before I got my lottie last year I was growing in about the same space as you have, and grew quite a lot: A row of nice new spuds followed by leeks; some peas, some runner beans a couple of courgettes, garlic, chard, sweetcorn and all the lettuce and spring onions I wanted.

So work out what you wan to eat...you'll be surprised how much will fit in.

I wouls recommend you borrow Peter Seabrook's Complete Vegetable Gardener book from the library, it's a bit old fashioned in style but will give you a good idea of just what you can grow in a small plot. with rotations, planting plans, and sowing guides. Gives a good insight in how to manage a small plot effectively IMO

And just think of all that luvverly manure right on your doorstep......

Considering the costs of potatos, I think its a bit daft to grow them too.  Especialy if your space limited, and want to concentrate on expensive stuff like leaks and fruit.

We don't always GYO because of the cost of veg. There's the freshness of flavour in mundane (in some eyes - not mine) veg like potatoes and carrots. You can grow things which aren't mainstream enough for the supermarkets, for instance and therefore difficult for many to get hold of - think heritage varieties. But grow what you want to eat.

I dont dispute they will be better, and if you have room , great, but growing potatos and buying blackcurrants, I maintain thats daft.

The cost of fruit bushes and the low yield in the first few years should also be considered, but everyone to there own.
Lettuce must be one of the best value for money crops on any plot.
Swiss Chard (Rainbow) looks great, lasts all year and no waste.
We all have are favourites, ie DD and Pea's, so grow what you eat a lot of and don't get hung up on costs.
You can get a lot in 15ft by 15ft.

Also think about what can be grown vertically to save space. Cukes trained up a trellis or fence is wise space saving. Same with melons/squash. Bush courgettes tend to take up space but there's a climbing variety which can go up another trellis. Rather than bush beans, try climbing/pole beans if you like them, same with climbing peas - you need less of them and they'll climb. A few indeterminate toms (climbers) can also be tucked somewhere sunny to climb.

As for your animals, you can surround the bases of the mini crops with some fencing to stop any nibbling off of stems, etc.

If planting in your front yard, space plants with attractive flowers to partially disguise the veg and not incur thieving.