Novice gardener

[Karen2005]

I'm a completely novice gardener, but would love to start working on my garden and perhaps grow some vegetables.  Any recommendations for good, easy to follow gardening guides (I've already looked at the BBC site).  Thanks.

[sandbach99]

Wrong time of the year for most vegetables but you can get winter onion sets in garden centres,  these are very tiny onions which are pushed just in the soil and left to grow, if birds pull them up just push yhem back in.  Need very little attention just weeding if possible,  won't become huge onions but can be eat late spring/early summer.  If you are lucky you may be able to get some winter cabbage seeds and take a chance with these  

[mullein2]

tell me what you have..i.e...the size of the garden or the veg plot you intend having..do you have a greenhouse heated or unheated..or will you be relying on sunny windowsills..is your garden full sun..or part shade? do you have a patio? or a south facing wall...to grow things..when you have said what you have then we can work out what is possible..

[Karen2005]

Thank you for your answers.  My garden is north-facing and about 40 square feet in total (according to the estate agent � I haven�t actually measured it myself!) with a strip of grass and border along the side of the house and approx. 40�x30� in the back.  Although north-facing I do get sun at the end of the garden and at the height of summer only a couple of feet was left in the shade of the house.  The garden slopes slightly towards the house.  There is a raised section at the end of the garden, which is now covered in weeds and another square patch (approx. 8�x8�, maybe a bit bigger) which is also covered with weeds, which is where I�d grow veg.  There aren�t any south-facing walls to grow things up, nor patios or green-houses (although there is room for both).  From talking to my neighbour I understand that the last but one owners used to grow their own veg.  The rest of the garden is lawn and borders (which are also in need of weeding).  As it is too late to start growing most things, I guess the thing to do first is to weed the garden and prepare it ready for spring�.  

[mullein2]

sorry for the delay hope you see this..their is someone on ebay selling 125 winter veg plants for about �6 you could hurry up and dig your plot and plant them..something to look at for the winter..next march you can plant peas potatoes onions carrots..leave the runner beans till may..you can start some tomatoes off indoors and plant out late may early june..the same with cucumbers..pumpkins etc...these dont like the cold..i got a greenhouse from dobies seeds for �80 its brilliant its thick plastic with an insect screeen and shelves..my good one blew away in the wind..so this one is up the house wall..and i can grow anything in it..even though i dont have a heater..you can buy poultry manure in tubs and just scatter it accross your plot it will water itself in..you can also buy a compost bin from your council cheap..and make your own..i dont as i have fields full of mice and rats at the back of me...next may you can start some leek seeds off in pots then when they are large enough to handle probably august time you can plant them ..they are good for winter food...i dont do very well with lettuce and cabbage as the birds peck everything to death..so i grow salad leaves in the greenhouse..happy gardening..i am surprised some of the other gardeners havnt been along with ideas..