Hi from the UK

[Bexwho]

Hello everyone, I recently bought a house with a completely square small garden with a lawn... What now!? I'm keen to grow with permaculture rules in mind, grow edibles, but also easy to grow plants as I'm a complete n00b gardener and I find it all very overwhelming. I've just dug my first two beds and I'm hoping to grow runner beans, jasmine, hops and I've ordered some perennials a cherry tree and some fruit bushes. I have acidic soil and a North facing garden that is in partial or full shade. Obviously it's difficult to get hold of things with the coronavirus lockdown, but I'm hoping to create a beautiful, productive garden

 

[roadrunner]

I'm not a permaculturist, per se, however, I've noticed that many of my gardening methods falls in line with common permaculture practices.

I never use soil amendments, nor any type of x-icides and my garden is very biodiverse. My primary departure from permaculture is that I mainly grow for the benefit of local wildlife vice human consumption, but if I were to grow for human consumption all that I'd need to do is change out what I grow and I guess I'd be a permaculturist.

What I recommend to you as a first step was my first step, which was to build up the soil. I do this by heavily mulching my growing areas, not with store-bought mulch, rather with yard waste I pickup from around the neighborhood. A little caution though, I pick it up from nice neighborhoods and/or yards, otherwise you get a lot of garbage mixed in the yard waste. I use the plastic bags (that the yard waste came in) as my personal trash bags -- I can't remember the last time I bought trash bags

Another option is to contact a tree removal company and ask them to dump some shredded wood chips at your home, which is much better than the woodchips you buy at a store, because it's mixed with more than just wood from the trunk of the tree.

I hope you can use these recommendations in the UK, not sure how common it is for you'll to leave yard waste on the curb and if tree removal companies are happy to dump a load of woodchips at your house for free.

 

[zigs]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Sheal]

Welcome Bexwho.

 

[Bexwho]

What I recommend to you as a first step was my first step, which was to build up the soil. I do this by heavily mulching my growing areas, not with store-bought mulch, rather with yard waste I pickup from around the neighborhood. A little caution though, I pick it up from nice neighborhoods and/or yards, otherwise you get a lot of garbage mixed in the yard waste. I use the plastic bags (that the yard waste came in) as my personal trash bags -- I can't remember the last time I bought trash bags

Another option is to contact a tree removal company and ask them to dump some shredded wood chips at your home, which is much better than the woodchips you buy at a store, because it's mixed with more than just wood from the trunk of the tree.

I hope you can use these recommendations in the UK, not sure how common it is for you'll to leave yard waste on the curb and if tree removal companies are happy to dump a load of woodchips at your house for free.

This is really helpful thank you Unfortunately we don't have bags of yard waste, but I could see about a tree removal company!

 

[Bexwho]

Thanks for the welcome @zigs and @Sheal, looking forward to learning loads. I bought runner beans to grow up a trellis, but I'm being told they do better up bamboo sticks, is this really important? Just as I'm not sure in my current layout I have somewhere to do that. Maybe next year? But will they work up the trellis for this year?

 

[Bexwho]

This is what I've started with, just a blank square, lots of shade, and zero gardening knowledge:

 

[zigs]

Thanks for the welcome @zigs and @Sheal, looking forward to learning loads. I bought runner beans to grow up a trellis, but I'm being told they do better up bamboo sticks, is this really important? Just as I'm not sure in my current layout I have somewhere to do that. Maybe next year? But will they work up the trellis for this year?

You're welcome

They will climb a trellis, just might need a bit of encouragement to get going.

Make sure you pick them all off regularly, checking for mature ones near the bottom. If they set seed they stop producing.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Bonjour, @Bexwho!

 

[jasper]

Hey!