Liverpool, England - novice just landed!!!

Just found this forum and I am so glad to have done so! I am pure 100% novice but have 110% enthusiam! I am disabled but have people who will help me, so its onwards and upwards! We don't have a garden, that is a concrete patio so square foot gardening is ideal for me/us! I have a big interest in growing herbs so if their are people who have experience in this field, please do contact me! Thanks!!!

Namaste,

zen

Revzen

So glad to have you here. Although I am not in your region, I wanted to say hello.

We do have active members in the UK and perhaps they will be helpful in your quest for growing herbs.

Please feel free to ask questions and we will try our best to answer, or at least give our opinions.

Have you considered the Table Top SFG? Mine are currently awaiting costruction. They may be more comfortable to use because you do not have to stoop, kneel or bend over to plant, cafe for, admire at eye level, or harvest your herbs or veggies. The following is a link to Table Top (TT) SFG.

Table Top SFG

Please look around in the various forums. Again,

Depending on your disability, I think table tops are a great thing to have. Even without one.

I have grown a few herbs and I loved them. They were such a treat. My favorites were dill, basil and cilantro. I have oregano growing now but have not used it yet.

I look forward to seeing how you progress. Don't forget that we LOVE pictures here.

Hello and welcome, Revzen!

I'm LaFee, the regional host for Europe. I'm happily planning my SFG here in the Paris region...but I used to spend a LOT of time in your neck of the woods. In another life, Focus DoItAll were one of my customers...so I even understand Merseyside and Scouse!

You'll find this is so much easier, regardless of your abilities...no more hoeing, raking, tilling...and lots of great herbs and vegetables to enjoy.

This is a very helpful and friendly board, so don't hesitate to ask anything that's on your mind.

revzen wrote:Just found this forum and I am so glad to have done so! I am pure 100% novice but have 110% enthusiam! I am disabled but have people who will help me, so its onwards and upwards! We don't have a garden, that is a concrete patio so square foot gardening is ideal for me/us! I have a big interest in growing herbs so if their are people who have experience in this field, please do contact me! Thanks!!!

Namaste,

zen

Howdy RevZen:

WELCOME: With the exception of those SFG beds that we use for vine crops we have all our SFG gardens at Table Top height. They are so much better on the wife and I. We plant short tomatoes (bush), strawberries, peppers of all kinds, eggplant, beans, peas, potatoes (sweet and others), flowers, herbs, spinach, lettuce, and more in the Table Tops. If it doesent climb - we plant'em there.

Again Welcome and God Bless,

Ward and Mary
Wake, VA USA
Near the mouth of the Rappahannock River.

Zen

I am just starting this year aswell so we can learn to SFG at the same time. You should be able to do what you want on your patio and be pleased witht the outcome.

I am from Burton on Trent in Staffordshire, not a millioniles away from you, and only a second away by messenger if you need any quick advice and I will be only too pleased to help as will all the other forum members.

We all look forward to hearing how you get on.

Welcome to the forum, Revzen.

If you use the search feature you should be able to find several past threads about herbs. I have a permanent perennial herb bed that was growing before I found SFG. This year I plan to transfer most of them to a special herbs-only SFG box close to my door. I'm getting tired of fighting the bermuda grass in my current bed, and I'm also tired of going into the yard with a flashlight at night in order to snip something for a recipe.

Do you have bermuda grass in the UK? It's great for horses, bad for gardens.

I am also making a special bed in the corner of my garden to grow tall dill, and I hope it reseeds itself each year. The remainder of my annual herbs, - parsley, basil, fennel, cilantro, marjoram, etc. will be placed here and there in my SFG boxes in their own squares or as companion plants.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your new garden.

revzen wrote:Just found this forum and I am so glad to have done so! I am pure 100% novice but have 110% enthusiam! I am disabled but have people who will help me, so its onwards and upwards! We don't have a garden, that is a concrete patio so square foot gardening is ideal for me/us! I have a big interest in growing herbs so if their are people who have experience in this field, please do contact me! Thanks!!!

Namaste,

zen

Welcome and Namaste, revzen!

I completely agree with the suggestions about table top gardens. I haven't built one yet but if lady luck and the right materials come my way, I will try to do at least one this year.

Last year was my first at SFG but I have been growing herbs for years. The great thing about herbs is that they are pretty stubborn and resilient. The only failures I've had are something eating my basil (but I got a GREAT crop this year!) and not being sure about ID'ing direct-planted seedlings. (I planted winter savory this spring, but I had no idea what it looked like and I think I pulled it all up by mistake, as weeds.)

The "woody" herbs (those with woody stems, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, etc.) and those that have tubers/big roots like chives, can overwinter if protected. I think our winters are probably harsher than yours (??) so maybe that's not such a big issue for you, someone please correct me there if I am wrong. (Parsley has a big root, too, though I've not grown enough of it to see if it grows back the same way.) The woody-rooted ones can be grown as annuals in an SFG bed, but mine are all in separate, permanent beds or containers. They come back year after year if you let them, and when they do, the root-clump can get pretty big...and spread, which if you're not prepared for it, might not be the best thing for a SFG. If I think it's getting too big in one of my containers, I pull it up and break up the root ball with a sharp shovel. That takes quite a lot of force, so maybe a friend can help you. Or, just treat the woody herbs as annuals or biennials so they don't get so big you can't control them. (Chives belong in this class; they DO spread, albeit slowly.)

The leafy herbs (basil comes to mind as a popular one, cilantro another) aren't a problem that way but they are usually annuals. (Dill is one, but it re-seeds itself. So does mint. Be careful of mint because it can spread like wildfire!! both the roots and by seed through the air.)

My suggestion for growing herbs is to consider what you buy most often from the shop now, pick your favorite few, and start there. If you know anyone who can give you some starts, that would be great, too.

My other suggestion is that if you plan on planting vegetables AND plan on using pesticides/herbicides, grow at least some of your herbs in another SFG, bed or container. I say this because I planted cilantro in my veggie beds as a companion plant... and then ended up having to, regretfully, spray Neem oil on the veggies....and then didn't want to use the sprayed-on cilantro because I didn't think I could get it clean enough (whatever that means) without totally shredding the cilantro. Maybe I was being over-worried about it, but, it was my decision, and there was my whole cilantro crop lost for eating. (And it smelled SO good!)

Best wishes and HAVE FUN!!!
Megan

sorry for the long silence folks, and thanks for the warm welcome! I have kicked off with some indoor growing, and here's what I have on the go, courgettes, tomatoes and coriander; all thriving on the windowsill! I have re-potted the courgettes as they are really big! and they look happier in their big pots! The other two are still in their original containers but are coming along fine! I am nervous though! I am really excited by the new life we have growing, and it has made me more apreciative of all life, sounds a bit OTT?! But I'm liking my new found fascination! My wife is also thrilled! So we are both enjoying ourselves with this new project, plus I talk to my plants!!! Not straight jacket material yet though folks!!!

Namaste,

revzen

Hi revzen,
Again, welcome to the forum.

Like you, I'll be trying my hand at herbs this year. I had a few in my raised bed last year but want to add more this year.

There might be successes and failures, but hopefully more successes that bring a big smile to your face. There's nothing like eating something fresh from your own garden plot, no matter how small. And to grab a handful of parsley or basil to add to a dish you're making for supper/dinner....there's nothing like it. Enjoy.

Be sure to let us see photos as your garden grows.

quiltbea, thanks - again! we had quite a hectic and emotional January with my wife's Mum only being given a couple of hours to live - she is now at home in good health! What an extraordinary lady! I will certainly post some pictures! Try and post them tomorrow! Any suggestions for a good book on indoor gardening? Suggestions really appreciated!

Namaste,

revzen