The next priority is to decide how much space - if any - you want to devote to food growing, and to work out exactly where to site the vegetable plot and herb garden, if you want these areas.
Herb growing is becoming more popular, since not only are herbs used in most forms of cooking, but their medicinal properties are also being rediscovered. They grow in interesting shapes and the form, texture and colour of their leaves make them attractive plants. Many herbs, such as rosemary, purple sage, santolina, rue and golden balm, can be included in the mixed border as decorative additions or a herb garden can be sited on its own. But clearly it is sensible that herbs should be as close to the kitchen as possible. As many of them originate in scrub or downland, they can exist in fairly shallow poor soil.
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.
The type of vegetables you grow will dictate the size of the plot, and this will determine how near the house it can be. Potatoes, most root crops and fruit and vegetables which need forcing, such as rhubarb and chicory, all take a lot of space. Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach-which is useful since the 'perpetual' variety goes on and on-are often well worth growing. For a busy family with little spare time, it is perhaps best to concentrate on salad crops.
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.
Herb growing is becoming more popular, since not only are herbs used in most forms of cooking, but their medicinal properties are also being rediscovered. They grow in interesting shapes and the form, texture and colour of their leaves make them attractive plants. Many herbs, such as rosemary, purple sage, santolina, rue and golden balm, can be included in the mixed border as decorative additions or a herb garden can be sited on its own. But clearly it is sensible that herbs should be as close to the kitchen as possible. As many of them originate in scrub or downland, they can exist in fairly shallow poor soil.
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.
The type of vegetables you grow will dictate the size of the plot, and this will determine how near the house it can be. Potatoes, most root crops and fruit and vegetables which need forcing, such as rhubarb and chicory, all take a lot of space. Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach-which is useful since the 'perpetual' variety goes on and on-are often well worth growing. For a busy family with little spare time, it is perhaps best to concentrate on salad crops.
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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