[eggsited]

Hi all,

New to this, but just moved to a new house and keen to become more self-sufficient this year. I have a front and back garden, but plan to turn my front garden over to vegetables and herbs. I have a few basic questions that I hope you won't mind me asking, but I have a head full of questions which perhaps I'll save for later  :blink:

Firstly, the front garden is around 10m long by 8m wide with a stone path up the middle. The previous owners have laid a weed-proof membrane and covered the whole surface with decorative pebbles. It faces due north and is fairly sheltered. The front border is a dry-stone wall and the sides are currently unfenced, bordering my neighbours' drives.

In my dreams, I'd like to turn it into one of those very symmetrical shaped kitchen gardens with diagonal lines and neat edges, but in reality I fear this will be unsustainable! I would like to have some highly scented lavender/rosemary lining the borders and path so that you can smell the flowers as you approach the front door.

My main question is this: will I get any vegetables from a north garden covered with pebbles, even if I do dig into the membrane?! Secondly, what vegetables could I start off with that would cope with that aspect? Finally, does anyone know a hardy lavender (or other scented bushy plant) that I could start planting to 'decorate' the edges of the garden?

Sorry for loooooong post 

[New shoot]

Hi eggsited

How much sunlight does your front garden receive? Shade makes things difficult veg wise.

Is it an option to remove some of the pebbles and make raised beds.  You could cut the membrane away within the beds and then build the soil level up.  Would be neat and you can get the soil to work it which you will need to do.

Assuming your front garden isn't too shady, Hidcote is a compact form of lavender that is good for edging.

Hope that gets you started 

[sunshineband]

I would suggest you might need to take up the pebbels and the membrane before trying to plant at all.

You could reuse these to create the paths for your design though, if you like them

[eggsited]

Thank you very much both of you.

@New shoot: the garden in winter gets very little sun, but in spring/summer/early autumn it is in sun for 3/4 of the day I'd say, from 11am onwards. I have looked at pictures of when I visited in the summer and it looks sunnier than I thought. Hidcote I've seen before - looks lovely. Thanks for your advice.

@sunshineband... nooooo!! I was dreading someone saying that. *sigh* Perhaps raised beds could be an option then...

[sunshineband]

You would have to fill raised beds with something though 

[eggsited]

True. There is often freecycled soil available nearby, but I was hoping not to have to complicate things by having to change things too much. Maybe just making formal beds might be an option, using some kind of hardwood planks as borders?

[sunshineband]

Still not convinced about trying to grow over the pebbles, myself.

Think of it this way ---- you'll have your garden for a long time so investing some hours of work now will bring pleasure for years to come 

[gobs]

You do not need to do raised beds, but just sticking in your caulies through holes in a membrane and pebbles sounds a bit adventurous.

Airing and feeding the soil is also an issue here.

It sounds a big area and part of it surely gets enough light and sunshine, but you have to know this for more sure before a lot of possible hard work, money and heartache.

Google Sketchup has got some shadow gismo, where you can work this out.

Nice plan and I do not want to be bad to you, but not many vegetables will thrive without a lot of sunshine.

The other inconvinient thing is, that a number of veg needs protection - fleece, netting - from birds and other critters. Have you thought of this? What did you think of growing?

[eggsited]

@sunshineband - sorry, I meant digging up the membrane/pebbles in boxed in areas, so rather than raising beds, just dig into the earth. That way I keep most of the pebbles (which are heavy!!) but can still use the earth. Does that make sense?

@gobs - your honesty is welcomed! I have used Google Sketchup for shade studies elsewhere, but hadn't thought about it for the garden. Perhaps planting away from the house might be one solution so that it maximises sun.

Thanks again for your help.

[gobs]

@sunshineband - sorry, I meant digging up the membrane/pebbles in boxed in areas, so rather than raising beds, just dig into the earth. That way I keep most of the pebbles (which are heavy!!) but can still use the earth. Does that make sense?

@gobs - your honesty is welcomed! I have used Google Sketchup for shade studies elsewhere, but hadn't thought about it for the garden. Perhaps planting away from the house might be one solution so that it maximises sun.

Thanks again for your help.

Indeed. You just want to have that line in your plan. The rest still can be lettuce or somewhat like that...

[tallulah]

Sounds like the area is big enough to avoid total shade from the house despite being north facing.  Question is, are there other buildings which will cast shade?  With at least some sunshine in the day, you will be able to grow selected fruit & veggies I should think, but you'll  have to concentrate them on the area that gets most sun.  Raspberries can tolerate some shade though.  Experimentation will be key.  I would start with a trial bed, removing membrane and pebbles, do some digging, do a soil test, incorporate some compost etc.  You'll be best waiting till the days get longer and warmer before sowing/planting anyway, by which time you'll get a better idea where the sunniest parts are.  Good Luck!

[eggsited]

Thanks Tallulah. There are no buildings affecting the sun once it gets over the roof and round the row of houses, which in late spring/summer will give lots of sunshine. I think after everyone's suggestions that I might lay out just the northern-most area of the space to veg, leaving the rest gravel, and test out the veg-growing.

The idea of using the front garden rather than the back is because I wanted to use the land as it was intended when the houses were built post-WWII, ie. to grow produce. The back garden is fully sunny and has a large lawn (surrounded by deep borders of those damn pebbles!) but as the front garden is effectively used for nothing, I thought it looked a bit wasteful.

Many thanks to all for your suggestions.