New garden - new backache

[gecko]

I'm new here! So thought I'd let you all see the task I've taken on.

First decent day since we moved into our new house. Our first decent size garden too so veggies have to be on the menu!

It's not a lottie (although we are hoping to get one of those too!) but it's a decent size



So today, we started on getting the bottom part dug into beds for some carrots, lettuce, purple sprouting, peas etc

Unfortunately, it's wet, heavy and full of broken bricks, tiles, pottery. Half a day produced only half a bed dug...



We did have some help though from one of our "boys" (unfortunately he moved just as I got there with the camera but he was digging in the middle of the bed!)



Have already picked up loads of useful advice from all of you, and am looking forward to lots more  ;D

[gecko]

[Svea]

welcome on board.

dont overstretch yourself - new house and big garden. if i were you i'd wait with the allotment til next year.
we only moved two months ago, and i have a bijou allotment, but no garden at all. and even so, there is a lot of DIY to do in the house and it all takes time.

svea

[Merlins Mum]

Hi Gecko,
Typical garden then full of broken bricks, tiles, pottery but what about broken roof tiles, I get those too.  It would be nice to find some buried treasure!  ;D

Anyway welcome

MM

[Jesse]

Hi Gecko, welcome to A4a. What a lovely big garden you have, and it's walled as well, lucky you! Rather take it slowly and dig properly, it will save you having to do it again next year. We're also on clay and when we moved to our garden we rushed the digging of the flower beds, not preparing them properly (also due to lack of knowledge). A couple of years ago I redug and prepared the beds properly, amazing how much better the flowers are doing now. I can highly recommend raising the beds slightly by adding lots of manure, compost and grit/sand.

[SEDUM]

Hello Gecko, what an enormous garden, fantastic: so many possibilities.  I would never get the smile off my face if I had a garden like that. 

All the best! 
Art

[Lily]

I love to see people's photo's- wish I had a digital camera.
What a lovely garden, it's good advise to take on the allotment next year.  Tackle the garden first, it looks big enough.  I think having backache after a good days digging can be a most rewarding feeling - assuming that you haven't over done it.  Good luck and enjoy the fruits of your labour.