Vegetable Garden - First Timer!

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by Evans, Jan 11, 2010.

  1. Evans

    Evans Member

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    Location:
    Pitt Meadows
    So we recently cleared out a space to the side of our house. It gets A LOT of sun, and we plan on putting new top soil down.

    I would like to start a vegetable garden in this space. I have a composter and a rain catcher (Xmas presents) to put in the garden! I will be building seperate plots that are raised for each section. I have quite a bit of room (33ftx16ft), but I need a path through, and hope not to use all the space.

    I was hoping to grow some vegetable, fruit and herbs that we could eat!

    So far I was thinking:
    -plum tree
    -blueberry plant (in container)
    -vegetables (carrots, lettuce, peas, tomatos)
    -herbs (thyme, dill, basil)

    Am I on the right track? Do these seem like good beginner ideas?
    Things I have Googled show me that these are all good plants for the Vancouver area, is this true? Any tips?

    Any and all feedback/tips/ideas would be great!

    Also, does anyone have any information on good layouts for the plots?

    Thanks in advance for any and all help!
     
  2. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    Location:
    Lakeland, Manitoba
    Maybe if you posted some pictures of the space, someone might have some good ideas. Some points to keep in mind, are that raised beds should be no wider than four feet, so that you can easily reach into the middle of the bed without walking on it. For vegetables, you should have at least three separate beds so that you can rotate your crops. One method of gardening you might want to consider is square foot gardening. http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

    Good luck!
     
  3. Keke

    Keke Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Vancouver, BC CANADA
    You haven't said which way the space faces. Is the long axis north-south or what? Essentially anything tall should be on the north side (preferably northeast). That way it doesn't shade anything in the garden. I'd also put the plum tree and blueberry bushes separate from the vegetables -- if the space is oriented north-south, put the vegetables at the south end and then the blueberries and then the plum tree.

    Notice I said blueberries? Don't containerize them, put 'em in the ground, and get at least three. The bees will pollinate all at once and if you choose three different varieties that ripen at different times you'll extend your "season". I have five, and in a good year (ie one that does not feature guests "helping" me pick) I have lots to freeze for later.

    Oh yes, and keep the lettuce away from the blueberries. Blueberries like our naturally acid soil but you need to lime to get decent lettuces -- they like it more neutral. If they don't get it they sulk.

    If you have (large) containers going begging, put tomatoes and peppers in them. They like the extra heat a container gives them, and containerizing allows you to move them if necessary. I always put mine against a southfacing wall that I can hang a canopy from later. You'll need to canopy them Aug 1 to avoid late blight.

    Re herbs, separate the perennials like thyme from the annuals like basil. BTW, basil does well in a container too! Perennial herbs like chives, sage and oregano do well (oregano will self-seed so watch it) but raise the bed a bit or they'll drown in the winter. DO NOT PUT MINT IN THE GARDEN. Containerize it -- it's invasive.

    That's enough for now. Have fun!

    Oh yes, I forgot to ask -- do you have bears or deer where you are? The answer to that might affect what you choose to grow or where you grow it!

    keke
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 12, 2010
  4. candychikita

    candychikita Member

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    Location:
    langley, bc canada
    congrats on your new veggie garden!

    i agree with the more than 1 blueberry plant suggestion...they are easy to grow around here and look great even in the winter.

    you might want to try some romaine lettuce, it's easy in the spring to have until it gets too hot...and you can clip the leaves as you need them. strawberries are also really fun and rewarding. and they really need nothing around here except for sun and water. carrots, onions, beets - all good ones.
     

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