what would you do with 10ft by 9.5ft'?

[herbalholly]

I cleared and stepped the back bank in the back garden to make a nice big area for the chickens which were otherwise going to go in the front garden. Now, of course, I have the front garden to do whatever I fancy with. This is pretty exciting to me but as always when faced with a blank canvas I've got stuck. What would you do with 10ft by 9.5 ft? It's north facing but very bright and sheltered, gets the sun in the late afternoon and early evening. Wasn't a frost pocket last winter. At the moment the only thing I've done is put in 5 globe artichokes, the rest is grass. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated - I'm not afraid of building frames for things to grow up, there could be a little pond for frogs, an M9 apple/cherry tree or similar. It could be put to wild flowers for the bees that live next door - please let me hear your suggestions! I'm going to draw up a plan of the plot and where the path is to help me visualise and I'll post it up here if I can work out the tech aspect of displaying a picture.
thank you

[Odsox]

You could do quite a lot on a patch that sized, but you may be in danger of trying to fit too much in.
It depends on what you really want to do and what your life style is, but if it were mine .....
You could grow a lot of vegetables on 95 square feet, peas, beans, cabbages, lettuce, tomatoes, whatever it is you like to eat .. especially if it's expensive to buy.
I would forget about a path and any other permanent fixtures and now is an ideal time to start. I would dig the whole plot (a bit at a time maybe) making sure the grass is upside down in the bottom of the trench, then leave it for a few weeks for the perennial weeds that you missed to reappear. Then sow with green manure plants and then dig again (easier this time) in October/November and sow some overwintering peas and broad beans. Then in the spring you have the rest of the plot to grow whatever you fancy, with very little preparation by now. Tomatoes against the front fence where the most sun is, on the back wall maybe a climbing courgette and in between ... well just about anything.
Whatever you decide, good luck.

[herbalholly]

so this is the bare bones of the plot

[battybird]

Leeks could be planted in a little area, they are great for breaking the grouns and will be ready in winter. If you can wait for the winter and prepare the ground as odsox suggests it would make a really good start. I however am much more impatient and would be planting seedlings (there must be people around with too many!!) and getting things going! i would pay by having to do loads of weeding but thats the payback! It is definetely only worth growing things that are expensive in the shops when you have a smallish space. Too late for pink fir apple potatoes which we love! But next year a little area could go to them and go for companion planting between and beneath your veg.
Have fun!

[herbalholly]

What I forgot to mention is that all of the fair sized back garden is put to raised beds (apart from where the hens are) so for the front garden I'm trying to think of something different. I'm thinking of it more in terms of something small and decorative but also somewhat ish. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[Green Aura]

If it were mine I'd do a baby forest garden plot, with a tree (fruit) a couple of shrubs and then underplanted with loads of perennial multi-purpose (but attractive) plants. So that could be anything from salad leaves to fiddlehead ferns!

Having done the initial layout and planting your structural stuff (trees and shrubs) once it's all grown together you'd have a really pretty front garden with food, flowers for the bees and good insects, herbs, dye plants, stuff to burn, food for your chooks, and any other need you wanted to fill. You wouldn't have huge amounts of anything but with careful planning you get something to eat all year round and it won't look like a veg patch (not that there's anything wrong with that but it might deter passing grazers )

(I am a bit fixated on forest gardens though having spent the last 3 months planning the changes in our garden so feel free to ignore this )

[Thomzo]

Arggggh. I just posted a long reply and it disappeared. What's going on????

Anyway, what I said was.....

If it were me, it would be herbs. A bay tree, rosemary and lavender for all year interest. Possibly a lavender hedge.

Stepping stones between the perennials, such as oregano, marjoram and thyme, with annuals in between or in pots.

Strawberries work well with herbs and maybe you could plant a vine fruit up an arch at the entrance.

The bees will love all those flowers, the neighbours will be delighted with the view and the smell and you'll have lots of ishy things to play with. Have a look at Jekka McVicar's site for inspiration.

Zoe

[Harasimow]

Hmm well it depends what your growing in your back garden. Are you rotating your crops in which case you could grow something different in it each year.

How about a 4x4 block of sweetcorn under-planted with 8 courgette plants?

Or a raspberry patch very low maintenance, and on a patch that size enough raspberry to make home-made jam!

Paul

[snapdragon]

in my north facing front there's Lavender, Myrtle, Rosemary, an old sink with softer herbs, just removed spuds (not planted) had peas and onions and still courgette plants and onions gone to seed, there's a mixed 'hedgerow' against next doors fence so that's underplanted with bulbs and 'stuff', and a path against t'other next doors'
Currently looks very ragged as the birdfood has sown itself and we have wheat, barley, and oats in odd spots all over but it's staying in case the smidgeons want it
(errm smidgeons = birds other than pigeons)
sweetcorn was planned but only one plant grew??!!?

[jimmyh1988]

depends if you want to produce food in raised beds or grow plants that may not be edible

[boboff]

Canabis?