Q How can I plan my new garden for fruit and veg?
Tim Croker, Chepstow
A ASHLEY SAYS Plan your garden around the sun. If you are wanting to grow fruit and veg, then these should be in the warmest, sunniest part of your garden. You could consider using raised planters for easier access and deeper rooting. Along your fences you can grow espalier fruit trees, which will look attractive but also save space. Apple, pear, plum, nectarine and fig trees all respond well to being trained up against a fence or wall. In the shadier spots you can grow leafy veg like spinach and lettuce alongside herbs such as parsley, mint and fennel. Turf is high maintenance and not very exciting to look at, so why not grow a wildflower patch and mow pathways through it? You’ll attract a whole host of wildlife to your garden and it will flower throughout the summer. Most importantly, plan where to position your chair, to sit and watch it all grow.
A ANNE SAYS As soon as early autumn brings cooler temperatures and moist soil, I recommend forking or digging removing any stones or rubble, and then treading and raking the surface, before sowing or turfing with lawn grass. This will render it usable, prevent weeds from growing and buy you time while you work out where paths will be needed, note the play of light, test the soil pH and make a sketch. You can place raised veg beds directly on top of grass, and where you later want to dig beds and borders, skimmed turf placed upside-down in a trench or stacked in a heap will rot down to nourish the soil. I would plan a mini forest garden and, during winter, plant small fruit trees and bushes. Gradually add herbs, perennial crops and leave spaces for annual vegetables.