Pinkrose

First time grower and in need of advice!

Hi, lucky you south west facing, perfect for the vegetables! My front garden is the same and much to my neighbours disgust it is where I grow all my veg's. I have 4 large raised beds. I bought the kits from Harrolds Horticulture (check online-they give all the measurements) but they were expensive so if you are handy with some tools it would be cheaper to make your own. The best compost is mushroom and I bought one tonne of it and some more topsoil and mixed it together and filled up the raised beds which are about 18inches high.and 1m wide and long. If you grow carrots in these you won't have a problem with carrot fly and in this growing medium they are easy to pull out! Carrot seeds can be sown directly into the soil but will have to be split up as they get bigger. I use tweezers for the seeds as I can't be bothered with the thinning out.The first year I grew three cabbages in one bed and they were huge beasts but tasty. Sugarsnap peas are so simple too but they will need some kind of stick to climb up. Try cut and come again lettuce which needs picking regularly or it can bolt, but I still harvested it. Some suggestions which work well are; french beans, peas, mangetout, spring onions, peppers, pak choi, carrots. Forget broad beans they take up lots of space and don't crop well. As you r plot is south west facing it will get very hot in the summer and will require copious amounts of water. Your plastic greenhouse though would be good to grow cucumbers in if you like them but beware things in plastic scorch easily in the sun.Final point, remember the little beasties like slugs don't venture into my raised beds as they are 18 inches high but the pigeons loves fresh seedlings too! I live in the countryside so I reckon on one third for me, one third for the pests/wildlife and one third for fatalities.Check out crocus.co.uk for more ideas on vegetable gardening it is in my opinion one of the best sites out there. Lastly, keep the seeds in paper in a dark place and buy markers to show where you have sown the seeds and what they are called.Good luck and enjoy.

Talkback: Top 10 plants for a dream garden

I love hostas. To keep the slugs off boil up a large bulb of garlic and keep the water when it has cooled. Dilute it slightly and spray over the leaves. The slugs don't like it. If this fails use human hair from the hairdressers as it clings to them. Not so good for the toad and hedgehog but works fine.

Diseased garrya eliptica

So, it has brown spots on it and some of the leaves are very brittle and brown.  Do I need to wrap it in some horticultatal fleece or maybe it is too late for this action? I planted it three years ago and it was fine until I went on holiday to Australia for a month....

Rented property - new to gardening

I forgot if you keep the yuccas you could go with a jungle theme and choose bright hot plants providing you get lots of sun in the patio. I had something similar 15 years ago  and so don't forget vertical planting. Apart from climbers, put planters on the walls and fill them with trailing tomatoes and geraniums and marigolds dotted about the vegetables in the beds and pots for everything else. It's amazing what will grow in a pot. You could even plug a pot and make a mini water feature and see what comes in? In no time you will have a small oasis of colour, scent, food and wildlife.....and somewhere lovely to sit.

Rented property - new to gardening

Check out crocus.co.uk they list all plants and where to put what and where and are ideal for beginners and upwards. Their plants are superb quality. I have used them for several years and they help with design aswell.

Diseased garrya eliptica

If anyone has a solution please leave a message. I am new to this site and not very good on the computer!

It was beautiful and now it looks like it is dying.....all conditions were right for this shrub.

Diseased garrya eliptica

My garrya eliptica has a brown spot and the leaves are all dry and brittle. I sited it in a north facing position with a west wall behind it. My soil is free draining. It was staked firmly and has been in situ for about three years. I was out of the country from mid october until mis november but my sons could not say if there had been a frost or not. It was looking lovely and I hope I am not going to lose it. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions please?

black bamboo

Black bamboo is recommended for clay soil My parents gave me a small piece to plant. I have a free draining soil and it became a nuisance in three years. The spreading shoots/roots lifted my garden path and cracked it. It grow very high and was amazing but not for me. I offered it to someone with a few acres of land and it took four men, four hours and a truck with a drop down tail gate to remove it. Value wise £1000 pounds worth but I was relieved to see it go. Definitely not for small gardens but magnificant if you have the space!

Diseased garrya eliptica

Diseased garrya eliptica