General advice for new gardener

Hello there

I’m looking to start growing some stuff in our back garden but am not really sure what and how best to do it, I like to potter in the garden especially in the warmer months but I feel I need to step up my game from just watering plants and weeding borders, also I have two beautiful twin granddaughters who I would love to be able to teach what I learn, they already help out with the watering haha.

Anyway so I have started to prepare an area and am just after some guidance of what to plant, where best and when etc?

I will be laying the paving flags down the middle of the area so I'll be able to access everything easily, this will give me two rows for planting, it's south facing so will get the sun all day (when it's out) Our back garden is a very windy one but mainly from the West/South West so the fencing and right hand sleeper wall will offer some protection against that.

The far end of the veg patch will be deeper with top soil than the near end so will that be a good place to plant potatoes and carrots?

Also I have bought a compost bin and am not sure where best to put it, ideally I would like it near the veg patch but that would mean it goes on top of the stones, it has no bottom though so not sure if that's an issue, is it meant to be on soil?

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

That looks exciting. WELCOME to Gardeners Corner. Lots of excellent advice will come along soon.
Good luck with you new venture,
Jenny namaste

 

Also, I have 3 pepper plants which I've grown from seed indoors, would it be okay to plant them out in the new patch or should I keep them indoors?

 

Hello! You've got a lovely blank canvas there to grow whatever you like to eat and look at
If the frosts have finished there, after acclimatising your pepper plants to the great outdoors, plant them out, but give them a bit of protection while they're young. Cut-off (top and bottom) plastic water or pop bottles make effective mini-greenhouses. Radishes are great for encouraging children as they're easy to germinate and crop in just over 2 weeks. Beetroot, french and runner beans....the bigger seeds are all reliable and quick to germinate which is a plus with impatient children What about a couple of rows of strawberry plants? Nothing to beat them for kindling interest in growing, picking and eating

 

Hello and thanks

I don't think I'll get a pop bottle over them as they are a bit bigger than that



I grew them last year from the little seed packs M&S were giving out, are they mature enough to go outside now?

Also when exactly do I know when best to pick them off and are they all meant to be red peppers or can you pick them when they are still green if large enough?

Great idea about the strawberry plants I will get started with that next weekend when the girls are here

 

Ha ha! They're impressive! You still need to acclimatise them though. Put them outside in a sheltered spot for at least a week before they brave the big, wide world. I pick sweet peppers at all stages, depending what I want them for. Later in the summer, the reds , oranges and yellows are useful for freezing.

 

Hello again, I have a question about the new topsoil I put in our veg patch, it has only been a couple weeks since I had it delivered and it is already full of weeds, is this normal?
I assumed there wouldn't be anything growing until I'd planted stuff, the sub soil was well prepared and free of any weeds etc so it hasn't grown up from that, thought I would ask on here first before calling the supplier,

Thanks