Kitchen Garden Forum

First post - Hello!

I have a garden that give me lots of challenges - half way up a hill overlooking the sea, lots of slopes with poor stony soil - so looking for all the help I can get! I recently took over the garden above us, which is much more level, but was overgrown with brambles. I have cleared enough to plant a potato patch, and another bed with onions, but clearing the ground is not easy - lots of tree roots and stones. Oh and the only way up is via a ladder!

I look forward to learning a lot here, I have so many questions!

Welcome to KG forum.

I suspect that Ricard with an h will have good advice for you.

Welcome to the forum - post what you like, no question is silly! We might not be many but have years of experience! (Not me particularly mind!)

Westi

Thanks for the welcome. Do I take it that Ricard with an H has a similar problem garden - he has my sympathies!

Hi and welcome to the forum

Cyfarchion o Ogledd Orllewin Cymru. Croeso i'r fforwm. I'm sure your will find someone to help with all your questions.

Hi and welcome

remember there is no such thing as a daft question

regards

Arnie

Hi Penny and welcome. Whereabouts are you exactly?

Hi Penny, Welcome aboard

VPM
x

Welcome abroad. Sounds as if you have got some challenges, especially if you have to lug water up a ladder to water your plants. Still, I imagine you probably get enough of the natural wet stuff in your part of the world to make that unnecessary too often. I wish you success getting rid of your brambles and tree roots. It's a pity you couldn't have borrowed a couple of pigs for a week to have done a thorough cleansing job for you!

Thanks again! We are in sunny Fishguard, our garden (which is not attached to the house, its out, along the street and up stone steps ) overlooks the old harbour, so rest breaks are fab!

The other 'top garden', newly borrowed, would be perfect for piggies, and they are my favorite animal and would give anything to have some!

Water not a problem because 1)we have year round natural irrigation in spades and 2) If option 1) fails we can get the hose up there.

My first question - I really want a greenhouse (actually would prefer a poly tunnel but no room in 'our' garden) - funds fairly limited - what would you suggest is the best bet for a very windy site?

Pennyroyal wrote:My first question - I really want a greenhouse (actually would prefer a poly tunnel but no room in 'our' garden) - funds fairly limited - what would you suggest is the best bet for a very windy site?

You definitely need to speak to Ricard with an H - he's ever so friendly and knows all about greenhouses and windy sites don't you Richard?

Here's a link to a current thread he started. It may be of use/interest to you.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11351

VPM
x

Thanks - that was very interesting!

vegpatchmum wrote:You definitely need to speak to Ricard with an H - he's ever so friendly and knows all about greenhouses and windy sites don't you Richard?

Well-ahhhh-yes, and welcome, I suppose I have things to share though I am still a novice and feeling my way.

I know almost exactly where Penny is situated, it'll be like gardening on steps. Yes ?

I'm a little more inland on the high ground between St Nicholas, Goodwick and Strumble.

I have managed to make a greenhouse tent survive to the point i'm now clearing it out for four tomato plants and am confident my modification will work though quite frankly the plastic might melt it's so hot at the moment.

I'm mostly planting in raised beds though I have recently planted 100 sea buckthorn as a wind-break. A planting trench was the way forward, the trench has most of the stone removed then you add some fibre and compost into the losses from removing stone. Sort-of the opposite to a raised-bed, if that makes any sense.

I just started another trench for lavender but got stuck with a stone that I can't lift out of the trench, not yet. I think planting trenches might be your way, it's hard work but doesn't involve the cost of raised beds.

If you have a place for a couple of tomato plants I have some spares that are about 9 inches tall and looking-good.

Be nice to tomatoes give them a home.

Hi Richard!

Yes, quite right about the location, not the lovely neat plots directly over the harbour (I have garden envy) but a rather scrubby patch that is slowly turning into a garden. Weeds are rampant and I could weed all day every day and still not win. So pretty it is not!

I know all about the hitting rocks problem, I have quite a substantial pile waiting to be turned into something, not quite sure what

I have got three tomato plants crammed into a small wooden grow house, they seem happy enough. Always happy to give a home to a couple more, I have a plastic tomato house, just need to work out how to stop it flying over the hill! I bought two, and have found the other one works better laid flat on the ground and used like a shallow grow house. Gardening here requires a bit of lateral thinking!