new garden

[Patf]

Our "new" house has no garden to speak of, only grass. There is one stone built highish bed and that's it. We will have problems growing things in open beds because of free range hens and cats. So I plan to have containers along the walls of the house. I would like suggestions for small possibly prickly plants/ shrubs, apart from roses. Or any other ideas to outwit the hens and cats. Also which vegetables can be successfully grown in containers? Pat.

[daisymay]

Berberis is a lovely bush plant which is thorny. It has a lot of varients some have flowers and some good autumn colour.

[Cassis]

You can grow any shrub or sub-shrub in open ground and the

cats and hens won't harm them.  It's the herbaceous plants that suffer

most from the hens' scratching and bum shuffling and the free-range cats' digging

to cover poo. 

If the planting is dense enough the cats won't be a

bother even to herbaceous plants as cats prefer open earth as a toilet, though the hens will remain a problem. 

So you don't have to limit yourself

entirely to container gardening unless you want to; personally, I wouldn't limit myself to containers as it will restrict your choice of planting and watering is a pain.  If you are fixed on the idea, one thing you could do is have open

bottomed containers so larger plants can root into the ground, plus the

container does not dry out so quickly as the container itself can take up some

ground moisture.

[Lou]

I hate to tell you this, but our next-door neighbour's cats also like to curl up in our containers too! (though so far, touch wood, they haven't used them as toilets)

Lou

[Alison Robinson]

Hi-

I love all kinds of plants in pots as they can be moved around to suit.

For a shady spot, why not try hostas. Camelias don't mind being in a pot of ericaceous compost- and look great just now. Acers don't mind it in a pot too, and look quite nice all year. Bulbs shouldn't be overlooked either- daffodils, crocus, tulips for spring, then summer flowering bulbs for year round interest. Or maybe something striking like a phormium perhaps? Herbs in pots placed near the kitchen door. The cats like to curl up an my grasses in pots, as they do make very comfortable beds! I also have a large water-tight pot filled up with aquatic plants.

As for veg- tomatoes are fine in a pot. Peppers, are fine. Potatoes can be grown in a dustbin or old tyres stacked up. Plants like swiss chard are fine in pots, and any legume supported with sticks will be happy in a pot.

The possibilities are endless!

Ali

[Patf]

Thanks to all for the ideas. I have planted a few roses in the raised bed and am looking forward to experimenting with the pots plus veg etc. I'm giving up on a potager as I just can't face the weeding problem again. Mulching does help but isn't the complete answer. Nor can I manage the rotovator and husband isn't interested. So containers seem to be the only alternative, though I know you have to water regularly. Pat.

[Cassis]

My sympathy over the rotavator - it can be a bit like greco-roman wrestling with Superman unless you're gardening on sand.

If you use a bed method for your potager you only need to dig it once, then manure it in autumn and let it rot in naturally.  I cover the beds with thick black plastic sheet over winter - means you don't have to wait for it to dry out in spring and it is warmer than uncovered soil so you can plant earlier (weather allowing).  Straw mulch is pretty effective against weeds. Also grass clippings, but not too thick a layer as they can get hot.

Rosemary, thyme, sage all do well in containers and don't mind a bit of neglect.