New gardener

[Mimsy]

I just moved into my first home in April and suddenly had space for a garden! It is all lawn, back and front, no plants. The soil is clay. I haven't done much yet, just put a single raised vegetable bed. All the women in my family are keen gardeners, so I've grown up watching and helping, and am very excited to have my own patch now. I'm planning on planting my first flowers next month, to attract bees.

Looking forward to being able to pick people's brains here!

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome and we are looking forward to the views from Gippsland.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Bonjour, @Mimsy! Growing vegetables in clay soil can be difficult.

 

[Mimsy]

Bonjour, @Mimsy! Growing vegetables in clay soil can be difficult.

@LouisFerdinand Tell me about it! It's even worse in Melbourne, where some of my relatives live. Raised beds is the only short-term answer.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

People are really down on clay, I think it is great stuff, those tiny particles hold a ball of water around them with nutrients dissolved in it. It is like most things though, good in moderation. I have seen people on the forum who have built raised beds with a base under them, almost like a giant pot, and they do tend to run into problems. If you treat it as a way of adding a mulch some inches thick to the clay I reckon you will get the benefit of both worlds and improve the soil all round in the long run. Have a look what Susan BBPM is doing with shallow raised beds lined with cardboard on clay, quite impressive.