Topic: northeast challenge

[L8starter]

 :o i live in a mid terrace, in norwich. Having had an allotment for years i gave it up a couple of years ago as i was fed up with it ruling my life and not being able to go away on holiday!!  >:( i havent regretted my decision for a second but i do miss the veg and want to make the most of land i have, mostly south facing at the back, but not much of it! a useful piece of earth at the front of my property runs NE with a small wall on the SE side. it never gets any sun because of the wall. if plants were to reach 2feet tall they would get early morning sun. it has been a haven for ground elder. i have carefully removed the ground elder and want to try some veggies. i have put some onion sets in hoping for something tho not sure what. i could try growing runners in pots and planting them out once tall enough to reach the sun but wonder if anyone has any other veg ideas for a much needed shady piece of earth?

[saddad]

Most veggies like a lot of sun... Runners climb so might get out into the morning light!
 :-\

[L8starter]

hmmm thanks, im pleased you agree with me. the trick im hoping for, is to find the exception.... where you say, 'most veg' yep, i know but surely some must be shade tolerant? somehow spinach beet holds my thoughts. ive been growing veg for 20 odd years and am seeking inspirational ideas, knowledge or tricks i havent thought about, the L8starter name relates to my running habits not my gardening but i ran out of the running web site into here and used the same name! any other ideas warmly welcomed

[ceres]

Not veg, well it is a veg but we use it as a fruit - rhubarb will take some shade.  Rasps, sorry more fruit, will also take a bit of shade.  Bob Flowerdew reckons that Swiss Chard and Lamb's Lettuce will grow in the shade of fruit trees and bushes.

Or you could build raised beds.

Or replace the wall with a mesh fence.

[L8starter]

genius... lateral thinking, i like it! dont like rhubarb, autumn raspberries could be a possibility. wow pleased bob suggests swiss chard, that is very similar to the spinach beet i was thinking might cope and lambs lettuce a regular crop i used to grow on my allot. however, its the raised bed i love the idea of!!!! thanks, it wouldnt suffer from being all dried out because of its position as regards the sun... but, umm brick laying evening class next winter? in the meantime, any other ideas?

[PurpleHeather]

Yes going away in summer and keeping vegetables is a problem which is why we now go abroad to the sun in winter. December and January are ideal for a dose of sunshine. Avoiding Christmas and New Year when everybody wants to go and the prices go up.

I have a shady part beside the garage and there are a few things that I have tried, with success to grow there. Peas, Runner Beans, a red currant bush. A black currant bush and (although they do not grow well beside black currants) raspberries will tolerate shade, a few people were surprised at that. Those long thin ballerina trees don't mind the shady area either and once they have grown above it all, they give lots of fruit.

Onions hated the shade and gave me no yield at all. Lettuce might be fine and radish seem to grow anywhere.

Another option would be to get a load of containers over 2ft tall fill them with soil and grow vegetables which keep replenishing like perpetual spinach in these.

Chard and Beetroot have quite attractive foliage for a front garden and you could plant nasturtiums around the containers, they are one plant that grows better in bad soil, the seeds provide hot and spicy capers, The flowers can be used on a salad. Chives are an ornamental looking edible additive, for container growing.

A lot of workmen living in terraces where there was little sun, especially in the smoke filled industrial areas, used be successful growing leeks in their back yards.

Good luck, do tell us how you get on with your venture.

[L8starter]

thanks, so many ideas!! the best of which is beyond me tho, school holidays keep me firmly rooted!!

growing wise ... i cant imagine peas with no sun but love mange tout... nothing ventured nothing gained

onions, yeah i know they love sun but figured if i put something in that already had a food supply of its own might give me something in return!! i just need to keep doing something for a while to keep a check on the old ground elder. once ive cleared it for good.. no harm in dreaming.... if veg dont work i can go for a shady perennial border

radish and beet strike me as sun lovers but like i said ill try anything

nasturiums tho, ummm capers, always in my cupboard when i had my allotment, if they like it, that could be the answer but the soil seems to be rich, so many enormous worms!!!!

leeks are well worth a try too, i can see that if a quarter of these ideas are succesful ill be taking out the mossy lawn!

thankyou

[manicscousers]

can you paint the wall white behind your raised beds, it'll reflect the sun back to your veggies  ;D
well, you asked for idras  ;D

[Heldi]

Following on from manics idea (which I think is brill) what about mirrors? Would they help reflect the light too?

[L8starter]

getting better by the minute, i love the idea of mirrors and paint but think the paint a tad more practical. wouldnt actaully reflect the sun but wouldlighten up the area. land cress is reputed to like shade. im planning tiny little samples to see how it goes, swiss chard, leeks, land cress, radish, mixed lettuce, corn salad, mangetout just a few plants of each to see what happens. oh crumbs, ive just dug up half my south facing back lawn. crikey maybe im on my way back to the allotment!!