Making Straight Rows

[Millymollymandy]

I start off the season sowing seed and onion sets with perfect straight lines done with string and posts, then as the season progresses I do it by eye (particularly planting out things like beans and transplanting lettuce) and that's when it goes all wonky. But by then I don't care because I have self seeded coriander and dill and even things like Verbena Bonariensis growing all over the place, not to mention all the pumpkin/melon type things going wherever they want.

[LyssaM]

Straight lines are over rated... besides... for the first year EVER I did straight lines... and the slugs and ended up going in straight lines too! At least when it was all random it confussed them, pmsl! Besides... straight lines are SO not me!

[Peppa Pig]

Thankyou for that we need all the good luck we can get...
There are no worms either...perhaps they got fed up with the migranes
Its so hard that even though we get about 6 regular cats comming through in the day none of them even consider doing there dodoo's.
I will get those runner beans in though..somehow

[becks77]

That's a good thing though ...no doodoo's
Just a thought what about sticking some raised beds on top of the compacted soil?

[Annpan]

I have followed a few permaculture principles this year while planting my beds... some crops are sown encircling others, some are randomly positioned, some are in teardrop shaped drifts. Some are planted 2 or 3 different seeds to one hole and loads of flowers interspersed between the veg, in a random/mimic nature kind of a way. I have also left any recognisable veg that was self seeded or missed during last years harvest to grow where it wants.... there are parsnips and lettuce in the potato beds, peas in the cabbage bed and potatoes everywhere.

It made planting time much more fun, I have fitted in a lot more than I usually would have but it does take a trained eye to spot the weeds, or identify which crop is which.



The only straight lines are for my pumpkin and courgettes (and that was only so I knew I would get a line of cloches over the larger plants, if needs be.


I think my garden would make some of you break out in a cold sweat....lol

[Peppa Pig]

No special pesents for the cats is a welcome change,I have now planted my beans in v large pots.
Annpan you planting/sewing sounds great. It sounds like Alice Beers (might not have got the spelling/name right there ) garden on her brilliant programme.

[Annpan]

It is a bit I was very much inspired by her book and the program - though I have been reading up on permaculture for the past year or so and needed to try it out for myself.

[Peppa Pig]

Sounds brill to me, and I think Al is a breath of fresh air.

[bean gardenin']

I have discovered my new relaxed method - which is to take my cushion and a hand fork, sit down with a bottle of beer in the sun and weed in a circle around me, then get up and move down and weed another circle around me with a fresh bottle of beer - It is an interesting method but I have found it feels more like fun than work then.

That sounds like my kind of gardening!