Courgettes And Sweetcorn In The Border

[Barmaid]

I have a stupidly big garden, but it is basically lawn with mature woodland/shrub borders. I am slowly ridding myself of the dreaded elder bushes that are everywhere.
Meanwhile, I have a number of seedlings growing in the conservatory courgettes, tomatoes, melons, sweetcorn, peppers, chillis. I'll keep the melon, peppers and chilis in the conservatory and put the toms in pots outside.

Do you think the courgettes and sweetcorn will be OK in the border? Might look a bit odd, but this is the back end of beyond (with EXCELLENT soil).

What other veg do you think I could grow successfully in the border? I have no room for a veg plot and as I am only renting, cant really dig up the lawn.

[EcclesCake]

I'm no expert but think sweetcorn needs to be planted at least 3x3 plants for polonisation. I may well be talking utter tosh, which is situation normal!

Courgettes will run for the hills and engulf your garden unless you have the bush rather than trailing type.

[Barmaid]

I seem to recall that about Sweetcorn, Eccles. Thankfully I have 9 plants. The borders are probably 10 foot deep so there is enough room.

No idea what type of courgettes they are, cant find the packet. Oops.

[EcclesCake]

Given how expensive herbs are why not plant up some in the border and for the more tender types use the conservatory.

Spuds and strawbs in bags dotted about in the border may be worth considering.

[woofgang]

beetroot looks pretty, peas and runner beans. I think that sweetcorn is very decorative, you do know it does better when planted in clumps don’t you? as its wind pollinated and so pollination is more reliable if there are plants close together. Personally I think that courgettes are the devil’s work and I wouldn’t plant them anywhere, but I have to say that the flowers look decorative

[Chipchopper]

I think the sweetcorn will look okay in a sunny border, planted in blocks about 16 inches (40cm) apart.

To keep things looking tidy, you could grow the courgettes in large planters with some wire mesh fixed around the tops, so that they can be trained up, allowing the courgies to hang over the sides.

[Old_Geezer]

In my limited couple of years gardening experience, anything outside a greenhouse (presumably that includes conservatories) fall victim to cats, snails, slugs, etc.. Maybe gardening experts can overcome those problems but I'm probably giving up this year as I have no greenhouse and nowhere obvious to reasonably site one. In your shoes I'd keep the plants in the conservatory and only move them if and/or when I had a greenhouse to transfer them to.