Growing your own fruit and veg can be super rewarding, but it can also be tough. There are so many things to learn, to consider and to remember. There are a load of choices you have to make about what you are going to grow and your garden layout.
This is been my first full year in my new home, as a result I have been able to plant more in the garden and really get it going.
I didn't over do it in terms of what I planted because I wanted to start slowly, learn what I could and not overwhelm myself with so many things that I would quit next year.
Keep reading to find out what I did in my small end-terrace garden to maximize growing space!
When I moved into this house in April 2023, there was a lot of work to be done to get the garden to a state where it was fit for growing food.
The previous occupants had used the ash from the wood burner as a mulch to prevent weeds in places, and in other places weeds had overtaken. Wood ash is great for the garden as it is a source of potassium, however, I dug up bags and bags of the stuff!
After clearing the weeds and removing the ash, it was time to make the soil rich in nutrients needed for growing food. My local household waste site sells bags of 'Soil Conditioner' made up of all the green waste they get for a great price, I bought as many would fit in the car, and then I went back for more.
The garden I was turning into the food area was originally a driveway, but due to the set up of the street, it was right behind parking bays and we would always get blocked in. I decided to turn it into the food garden so that I could keep the back garden as a space for me, my dog and my rabbits to enjoy. There was already a flower bed at the back of the space, the driveway space and then a lower area that was separated with breeze blocks to be able to enter the house.
Once the soil was conditioned, I left it for a few months for the conditioner to do its job. During this time, I dug a trench around the garden and planted a native hedge! I wanted to provide a natural barrier around the garden as well as encourage more wildlife. It would also give the birds somewhere to hide. The hedging I chose was specifically chosen for the fruits they could provide me or the birds and the food they could provide my rabbits.
Once the soil was richer, I put the fruit plants I had brought with me into the bed at the back of the garden, as well as the new ones I had acquired since moving. Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries (though they are in the back garden), Gooseberries, Redcurrants, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb that my kind neighbour gifted to me. The Raspberries were plants my Granddad gave me years ago before he passed away, and I plan on keeping that line of plants going!
My next challenge was to figure out what I was going to grow the veggies in. I wanted raised beds but I didn't want the cost or work that came with them. After many hours of searching the internet for ideas, I settled on one.
Tires.
Now, I know some of you are there screaming at me right now. Something along the lines of tires are toxic and will poison the food? I thought the same thing until I did a load of research.
I came to a conclusion.
PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
Free to get hold of Smaller than raised beds, cheaper to fill with soil Easier to weed Allows access to the middle of the bed You can paint them pretty colours Allows people to grow food in their gardens cheaply You know where your food has been grown and whats been used on it Easy to replace | May leak toxins into the soil on really hot days, eventually. BUT it can take years for tires to start to break down. |
If you disagree still, that's cool! It's your choice what you grow your food in! But these work for me, for now. they are only a temporary solution until I get a bit of land so I can have proper raised beds.
I have 3 greenhouses. One is a tomato specific one that fits perfectly next to the fruit beds on the lowered terrain, one is a little knee-height thing that was my first greenhouse just to start seeds off in, but then I got given some chili plants and needed more space for those to stay in permanently. I then bought myself a larger greenhouse that is in the back garden which will be my main growing space for seeds and warmer-climate plants bar the tomatoes! All of these I got off Amazon.
I might get rid of the smaller one next year, but I will wait to see if I use it in the spring before making that choice!
Parallel to the porch and house is a breeze block wall with little holes in. This wall has become my herb wall! It's made use of the silly holes in the blocks and has given me another growing space. I have Thyme, Mint, Rosemary, Parsley, Fennel, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano, Lemon balm and Lavender.
In pots I grew some potatoes. I got given the plants from work and I had no idea what variety they were, but 2 out of the 3 plants gave me a great crop! The 2 successful ones were in containers, whereas the failure was planted into a tire. Those ones were destroyed by slugs and wire-worm. Lesson learned, potatoes grow better in containers than tires! I have another load of potatoes in now. They should be ready soon!
In the tires I have successfully grown Peas, lettuces, broccoli and spinach.
I still have Winter cabbages, Kale, Spinach, Fennel bulb, Chili plants and herbs growing well.
I had a fair few failings, too! The one batch of potatoes, Onions, Pak choi, purple sprouting and cauliflower.
It turns out the netting I bought is not fine enough to stop the inevitable Caterpillar attack. I also have an abundance of slugs which I have not found a way to deter. Any tips? I'm all ears!
I have created some yummy recipes with my harvests, although my peas didn't even make it to the kitchen, they were too tasty.
My plan is to eventually be able to supply myself with the seeds I need to grow the food again next year without buying seeds. I tried saving some peas and it worked! I now have roughly 15 seed peas for next years crop.
Overall, I can't complain considering it was my first real go at growing food. I learned loads, and I am excited to expand the garden next year.
I want to plant more peas because they were incredible, more potatoes because... who doesn't love potatoes, I want to try purple sprouting and cauliflowers again. I will reduce the amount of lettuces I grow because most of it ended up going to the rabbits, which isn't a bad thing but I most certainly need to rein back a bit on that front!
I want a different variety of tomatoes next year, and I'll try something new, too!
Wildlife is always a huge part of my decision making when it comes to the gardens. I have two tires dedicated to wildflowers, bird feeders and a bird table. The space behind the Tomato greenhouse is left to the weeds, I don't weed during the spring and summer unless the weeds are in the tires and I don't mind the caterpillars eating some of the hedging. I have a bug home in the back garden, I built a small wildlife pond and try to keep the plants I grow native, or at the very least a bonus to the wildlife.
I love going out into the garden and seeing the bees, finding a ladybug or hearing a cricket. I enjoy the Shield bugs that end up crawling over the tools I'm using and the thrill of finding a toad among the grasses. All of this has been found in an end-terrace garden in the middle of a built up village. It's proof that little changes to your garden can be a huge help to the wildlife.
Give Nature a Home!
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