Garden Design Part 10
Last month we focused on the basic layout of the food growing area. This month is all about what to grow where and when.
Looking at the layout, there are four distinct growing zones:
Full-sun soft fruit area (top)
Raised beds on upper and lower terraces
Greenhouse
Edible hedge and shade-tolerant woodland edge
The West Yorkshire climate (cool, temperate, reasonably high rainfall, occasional late frosts), means I’m going to focus on reliable, productive crops rather than Mediterranean plants.
In the full-sun soft fruit area, the two long beds are ideal for permanent fruit.
One bed could house:
Summer raspberries (e.g. 'Glen Ample') - harvest in July
Autumn raspberries (e.g. 'Joan J') - harvest in August-October
Strawberries underneath - harvest in June-July.
The second bed could house:
Blackcurrants (e.g. 'Ben Connan') - harvest in July
Redcurrants (e.g. 'Jonkheer van Tets') - harvest in July-August
Gooseberries (e.g. 'Invicta') - harvest in June-July
Around the fruit bushes within both beds I can grow:
Chives
Garlic chives
Comfrey (for mulch)
Calendula
I will use crop rotation for the Raised Planters/Wicken beds to keep the soil as fertile as possible.
Bed A - Potatoes
Spring
First earlies (e.g. Rocket)
Summer
Maincrop potatoes (e.g. Sarpo Mira, excellent blight resistance)
Winter
Green manure (field beans or rye)
Bed B - Brassicas
Spring
Purple sprouting broccoli
Early cabbage
Summer
Kale
Savoy cabbage
Sprouting broccoli
Winter
Kale harvest continues
Bed C - Peas and Beans
Spring
Broad beans
Summer
Climbing French beans
Runner beans
Autumn
Spinach after beans finish
Bed D - Root Crops
Spring
Carrots
Beetroot
Turnips
Summer
Succession sow carrots and beetroot
Winter
Parsnips remain in ground
Bed E - Salads & Onions
Spring
Spring onions
Lettuce
Radish
Summer
Lettuce
Rocket
Pak choi
Autumn/Winter
Lamb's lettuce
Winter purslane
Japanese mustard greens
The greenhouse is my season extender, so here is my Greenhouse Plan:
January-February
Sow:
Chillies
Sweet peppers
Early tomatoes
Aubergines
March-April
Sow:
Cucumbers
Basil
Lettuce
Beetroot plugs
Summer
Grow:
Tomatoes (e.g Sungold, Gardeners Delight)
Cucumbers
Peppers
Melons if space allows
Underplant with:
Basil
Marigolds
Autumn
Replace spent tomatoes with:
Winter salads
Spinach
Coriander
Claytonia
Winter
Protected crops:
Winter lettuce
Mizuna
Pak choi
Asian greens
As I mentioned last month, the Edible Hedge (Wildlife Area Border) is a fantastic opportunity to combine food, biodiversity, and a functional divide between the spaces.
The main hedge species will be
Hazel
Blackthorn (sloes)
Hawthorn
Dog rose
Elder
Crab apple
but I could include other productive additions, such as
Cherry plum
Wild damson
Sea buckthorn (sunny sections)
Aronia (chokeberry)
with a ground layer of
Wild garlic
Sweet cicely
Alexanders
Good King Henry
This hedge would provide food from April through November while supporting pollinators, birds and beneficial insects.
A mature edible hedge could look like this:
The more shaded area by the Greenhouse and the dappled shade at the top of the garden would suit
Fruit
Redcurrants
Blackcurrants
Jostaberries
Vegetables
Perpetual spinach
Sorrel
Kale
Rhubarb
Woodland edibles
Wild garlic
Alpine strawberries
Sweet cicely
This planting plan would give continuous harvests while keeping the soft fruit and perennial crops separate from the annual vegetable rotation, making the garden easier to manage and more productive over time.
My Year-Round Harvest Calendar could be:
Season | Crops |
Jan-Feb | Kale, winter salads, spinach, stored potatoes |
Mar-Apr | Rhubarb, spring greens, overwintered broad beans |
May-Jun | Lettuce, peas, strawberries, early potatoes |
Jul-Aug | Beans, raspberries, currants, tomatoes, cucumbers |
Sep-Oct | Apples, blackberries, beetroot, squash, autumn raspberries |
Nov-Dec | Kale, parsnips, leeks, winter salads |
If you would like any advice about what’s possible in your garden, please get in touch!
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