Veggies for damp Northern climes

[Sally Jane]

Moved to West Cumbria in March. We are currently living in and renovating (very slowly - asthmatic husband and out of condition wife neither of whom are Spring chickens!) a very neglected small house with a very overgrown garden. We've cleared the garden, and I dug over about half before running out of steam because of the matted condition of the ex-lawn. Have cheated for now and covered all with black membrane in the hope of killing off, or seriously disabling, the grass before i have another go at it next year.
It will stay like that for a while as our priority is trying to make the house clean and habitable - the next job is insulation, and finishing decorating etc so we can get some carpets down on the concrete floors - at the moment it feels like we're paying to heat up Mother Earth.
Anyway, the house comes first now, then we need to put up a decent fence on one side and build a shed/workshop at the end of the garden before we can think about actually growing stuff! We have got a couple of compost bins which we are feeding in the meantime.
When the time does come to plant stuff , what would experienced ishers recommend?
We are in an area which is generally cool and damp, and which experiences high winds (off the sea).
Your suggestions will be most gratefully received. Thanks.

[Mal]

Black membrane isn't cheating, it's sensible use of resources. I had half my allotment covered and half growing things (initially vegetables, then mostly weeds as it all got out of hand over summer). I can't tell you how much easier it was to dig over the covered stuff. I wish I'd just had it all covered for the year and not bothered with the few veggies I got going.

Sorry, I know that wasn't strictly on-topic, but I wanted to get my 2 cents worth in!

[Odsox]

We are in an area which is generally cool and damp, and which experiences high winds (off the sea).

Me too
I would highly recommend getting some of that green windbreak on the windward side of your plot, it will pay for itself in no time (and make your life easier)
Veggies I've found that grow well in the cool are maincrop peas, leeks, carrots, parsnips, cabbages, cauliflowers, sprouts, chard and potatoes.
Things that don't grow well are squash, tomatoes (outdoors), runner beans (some years), dwarf French beans (go mouldy), sweetcorn and onions (grow well but don't ripen to keep).
Plus lots I've forgotten

[Flo]

I'm over the other side of the hill to Cumbria but I'd say that Odsox is pretty accurate. Try to get simpler things like salad going and carrots - maybe put a few cabbage plants from the local garden centre in whilst you get to know the garden - where the sun is, how wet the soil gets and where to put your compost heap.

[Sally Jane]

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement. I think the main thing I shall do is to keep it simple and aim for a small selection of basics, and fast maturing salads while I get to know the nuances of this garden. I'm so glad I found this brilliant website as the advice I've already had from other users is invaluable. Thanks to you all.

[Green Aura]

We have real difficulty with runner beans - the high winds up here stop them setting for some reason. Our solution, hopefully, is to grow a hedge round the area - slower than the windbreak stuff but prettier and we've only chosen hedging that has other purposes - mainly edible - like blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel etc. As most of them are spiky they also help stop the neighbour's dog crapping in the raised beds!

Oh and we've put a 10' x 15' polytunnel in the most sheltered part of the garden (still pretty windy though), so we're going to grow some of the less hardy things in there next year.

[Birdie Wife]

Hi Sally Jane,
I'm not that far from Green Aura as the hooded crow flies and I manage to grow garlic, cabbages, perpetual spinach, beetroot, potatoes, broad beans, peas, salads and virtually all kinds of root veg very sucessfully. I've never managed to ripen any outdoor tomatoes but other people up here manage very well with them inside. I grew a lot of onions and shallots but they never harden up that well, as Odsox already said. They get plenty of moisture and growth is not a problem! But they do sometimes split in heavy rain after dry weather.
Dwarf french beans, pole beans and runner beans I've never had success with, but as OH really likes runner beans I'm going to try growing a dwarf runner beans (Hestia) next year in a big pot in a very sheltered spot that still gets lots of light.
Fruit does well - my raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, tayberries, redcurrants, gooseberries and rhubarb are all thriving outside.

[Odsox]

We have real difficulty with runner beans - the high winds up here stop them setting for some reason

I'm going to try growing a dwarf runner beans (Hestia) next year in a big pot in a very sheltered spot that still gets lots of light.

I grew these before the windbreak hedges grew and they were just fine.
I grew them in a row out in the garden ... I think pots would take a lot of looking after, especially watering.
How about growing them between rows of something more hardy, like between potato rows ?
The only problem I found with them is the beans get muddy when it rains.

[Sally Jane]

Thanks for those ideas. It looks like runner beans could well be a bit hit and miss, but I will try Hestia.
I'm really pleased with the list of possibilities that I have drawn up as a result of everyone's suggestions and advice, and it does offer quite a bit of variety, which is important to us.
Thanks again, folks.

[MINESAPINT]

Sorry this reply is off target considering your original request but I feel I was in a similar position to you 10 years ago. Old house to renovate. It was the mention of concrete floors that rung bells with me. If your concrete floors do not have insulation underneath them and you have not made too much progress with your renovations so far I would have no hesitation in digging the floors up and installing a load of approved insulation. Polystyrene/Jablite/Whatever.

While you are at it you could install underfloor heating.

MINESAPINT

[Sally Jane]

We'll give it some serious thought, as you've reminded my husband that he did something similar in previous house when the ouside loo and coal-house area was brought within a small extended area to enlarge the kitchen.
We haven't insulated the loft yet (next week's job!) and the house is freezing - I've had to turn the heating a) on, and b) up, which I don't like doing, especially during the day. I do suspect that once the heat stops leaking through the roof it will leak through the floors!
Thanks very much for your suggestions.

[circlecross]

yes, concrete floors in this weather - brrr. we have a carpet, but no central heating.

Anyway. I have disgusting success with runner beans. I think it must be me, as I grew them in London, and I grow them up here in Carlisle. I had NO success with parsnips, but our sprouts are still on the go and potatoes did fairly well.

We got a grant of some nature for insulation, both walls and roof, so it might be worth checking out if that extends to other parts of Cumbria, or if it just the celestial city.

Good luck - if you are passing through the glowing jewel of Carlisle, let me know.