Most vegetables need a good depth of topsoil which is rich in humus and all need certain amount of space. They should be grown in some sort of rotation. A vegetable plot need not be screened, as is often suggested, for rows of neat vegetables can be attractive. Admittedly there are times in winter when they look straggly-hut a run of box edging should solve the problem.
It is arguable that the actual saving through growing your own vegetables in a small garden is marginal. Perversely, the saving may be greater in the countryside, since the distributive system favours large areas of population and often results in cheaper and more plentiful vegetables in towns. Naturally, the more vegetables you grow, the more economic the proposition becomes.
To give some indication of the amount of space which vegetables take up: an area of 84 sq m (300 sq ft) would provide a family of four with sufficient lettuces, runner beans, peas, carrots and turnips in summer, and with leeks, cabbages and sprouts in winter. But of course great pleasure can be obtained from growing your own produce, even if you do not have enough space to make the enterprise really economic, and the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables is reward in itself.
Lawn running right up to the flower beds is attractive, though maintenance is easier when a line of paving runs along the edge, so that mowing stops about 400 mm (1 ft 3 in) short of the border. Convenience of mowing should be taken into account when planning areas of grass. Allow room to turn the mowing machine and, if you plan a grass slope, bear in mind the maximum gradient of 1 : 1 or 45 ˚ for cutting with a hand mower and 1 : 1 or 33 for a smaller power-driven machine.
There are many varieties of lettuce worth growing and a few outdoor tomato plants in a sheltered place can be rewarding. Fruit bushes can be trained along a fence or grown against a wall, where they will benefit from the heat retained and gently released by the wall.
If possible, allow enough room not only to get out of the car without landing in a rose bed, but also to wash the car down; do not forget provision for a water point and for drainage. If there is not room to turn the car round, you will need to leave clear lines of vision for reversing out.
It is arguable that the actual saving through growing your own vegetables in a small garden is marginal. Perversely, the saving may be greater in the countryside, since the distributive system favours large areas of population and often results in cheaper and more plentiful vegetables in towns. Naturally, the more vegetables you grow, the more economic the proposition becomes.
To give some indication of the amount of space which vegetables take up: an area of 84 sq m (300 sq ft) would provide a family of four with sufficient lettuces, runner beans, peas, carrots and turnips in summer, and with leeks, cabbages and sprouts in winter. But of course great pleasure can be obtained from growing your own produce, even if you do not have enough space to make the enterprise really economic, and the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables is reward in itself.
Lawn running right up to the flower beds is attractive, though maintenance is easier when a line of paving runs along the edge, so that mowing stops about 400 mm (1 ft 3 in) short of the border. Convenience of mowing should be taken into account when planning areas of grass. Allow room to turn the mowing machine and, if you plan a grass slope, bear in mind the maximum gradient of 1 : 1 or 45 ˚ for cutting with a hand mower and 1 : 1 or 33 for a smaller power-driven machine.
There are many varieties of lettuce worth growing and a few outdoor tomato plants in a sheltered place can be rewarding. Fruit bushes can be trained along a fence or grown against a wall, where they will benefit from the heat retained and gently released by the wall.
If possible, allow enough room not only to get out of the car without landing in a rose bed, but also to wash the car down; do not forget provision for a water point and for drainage. If there is not room to turn the car round, you will need to leave clear lines of vision for reversing out.
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