just general help in starting please

[aligator]

hi all

Ive just cleared a couple of raised bed in my back garden ready to plant veg etc. Very excited 9 year old step son wants to start planting stuff now!

I think that the general advice would be - dont plant anything, cover it with plastic and wait til next year but is there anything we can plant now that would please a child? also he would be appeased by planting flowers - would it be ok to plant bulbs in the beds that will be for veg?

Thanks

[aligator]

[kt.]

Welcome.  You could plant overwintering onions.  Or start some over winter lettuce seed indoors before transplanting out for winter -  Valdor is very good in cold winters.  You may be able to still get hold of some spring cabbage plug plants to go in now too.  Strawberry plants and overwintering beans can also be planted.  An overwintering carrot called "Nigel" is available from Thompson Morgan and it can be sown up to  November.  Parthenon Calabrese sown now will be ready for spring but start off in seed trays first, indoors.

[ceres]

Welcome to A4A aligator.  Garlic and onions, overwintering peas and broad beans, oriental leaves (pak choi etc), radishes (very quick growing for kids but they might not like to eat them!), or failing all else a green manure like phacelia or poached egg plant which you can dig in in the Spring.  It's nearly time for putting in fruit bushes/trees, so if you're planning  for any, time to go shopping! 

[cornykev]

As said above aligator and welcome, I've just put my winter onions in, so get yourself round to your local nusery because they sell out quickly, so you  better make it SNAPPY.       ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[shirlton]

Welcome to the site Aligator. I'm sure a few bulbs would be ok along the edge of the bed. Crocus take up hardly any room.

[Eristic]

The only problem I can see with planting flower bulbs in a novice veg plot is the fact that many of the spring bulbs are toxic if eaten and are easily mistaken for onions later in the year.

[artichoke]

Rocket! He may not like it, but might be happy if others accept it from him. Beetroot germinates quickly at the moment and will take off in the spring after sulking over the winter. Garlic comes up quickly, broad beans the same, strawberry runners....Bordeaux spinach tastes very delicate but again it germinates quickly and takes off in the spring.

[kt.]

Beetroot germinates quickly at the moment and will take off in the spring after sulking over the winter.

Didn't know beetroot would stay over winter.  Summer sowings left into winter go woody.  Any particular variety??