[VictorLaslo]

Hello to all.

Just registered onto this board to get some advice and ideas. We have just bought a house which has a large garden, so we now, as seems do many, wish to start growing our own vegetables and fruit.

Trouble is, my wife knows very little very little on the subject and I know even less!

Help is required folks.

We live on the North East coast (don’t know if that’s an indication of soil type, it’s brown is all I know) we were informed by the old lady who lives next door that the plot has been double dug already (is that what I think it is, or is there more to it?) and there is only a few herbs planted up to now.

Went out this morning and bought some seedlings, Leeks, Red Cabbage and Cauliflower. Also got some parsnip, radish, swede, pea and spring onion seeds. I would like to grow fruit (already have strawberry plants) maybe apples, pears and plums, so any suggestions on smallish trees would be a help.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Gwiz]

back in the dark ages, when i was doing an apprenticeship in horticulture, i used the "expert" series of books by "DR D G HESSAYON" not the most techincal of garden books i grant you, but very good i think, well they got me though the exams! they`re not too expensive and even less so in secondhand bookshops, and there is a book to cover just about anything you want to do in the garden.
best of luck to you both.

[Kim]

YES totally agree with you , I too am growing from my back garden with a lot of success , mainly down to reading the 'DR HESSAYON '' books they are not overly complicated and for a novice like me is just the job . T he two i found most useful were ''The vegetable and herb expert '' and ''The fruit expert '' .Goodluck with getting started its very addictive !!!!!!  

[John]

What I love about them is the simplicity - great as a memory jogger.

Love the comment about the soil being brown.  If it has been double dug then you're off to a good start.