I'm inclined to stick to low value crops like potatoes firstly and of course the digging work involved will help the soil because as far as I know it's never been cultivated and has always been grassed. Low value and frankly a fair bit of work to lift so that should deter oportunists . I' m also giving the jerusalem artichokes a thought too and spinach may be worth a look .
With regards to using bamboo as a food source- I was always under the impression that it's pretty low grade nutrition wise , hence why pandas are fairly inactive save for shovelling bamboo shoots into their faces 18 hours a day
I'm not sure about the cctv , as others have said in other threads it may just make it look that we have something really worth having rather than a sack or two of king edwards.
grenfell wrote: and of course the digging work involved will help the soil because as far as I know it's never been cultivated and has always been grassed.
Debatable. There are some who believe that digging is actually harmful to the soil. Charles Dowding certainly puts forward some good arguments against digging and raises enormous amounts of food on a small plot with a no-dig system. I am trialing his No-Dig style of gardening and my first years harvest with it (this year) is pretty good.
If you plant close like in the square foot garden most will think its a new flowerbed you have there and many herbs and veggies do look pretty.
I abuse beans and peas to shield between the guy next door to me on my balcony so he cant stare as he tend to but then i've always had a ton of foods growing in pots hangers and so on. (you can have a lot of food growing in pots on a balcony 2½x3 meters
I started as my kids were small to show them what you can eat and whats bad for you in the wild when we walked to and from school and so on and it kinda exploded.
when i move from here to a house, i'll pull up everything that cant be eaten in one way or the other. if its not food for me bees or the birds, its going out from my garden
grenfell wrote: and of course the digging work involved will help the soil because as far as I know it's never been cultivated and has always been grassed.
Debatable. There are some who believe that digging is actually harmful to the soil. Charles Dowding certainly puts forward some good arguments against digging and raises enormous amounts of food on a small plot with a no-dig system. I am trialing his No-Dig style of gardening and my first years harvest with it (this year) is pretty good.
Yes granted there is that idea and it does get a thumbs up from another forum I use. I have tried it once with potatoes and the results were poor but perhaps I didn't do everything right. I'm thinking root crops that require a bit of work to remove would or may stand a better chance of not going missing. I mentioned the Good Life and in that it was leeks that were stolen as they are so easy to pull up.
CrazyDane, also something to think about and to be fair my herbs on the front do look just like a flower bed, albeit an unloved one when I left some of the sorrel to go to seed to collect as most would probably think they are weeds
Ultimately over a few years people ( well the neighbours at least ) would most likely realise that I was growing food crops so any form of concealment or camouflaging would become slightly less effective but unless something major goes down I can't foresee any of my neighbours raiding the patch.
grenfell wrote: and of course the digging work involved will help the soil because as far as I know it's never been cultivated and has always been grassed.
Debatable. There are some who believe that digging is actually harmful to the soil. Charles Dowding certainly puts forward some good arguments against digging and raises enormous amounts of food on a small plot with a no-dig system. I am trialing his No-Dig style of gardening and my first years harvest with it (this year) is pretty good.
Yes granted there is that idea and it does get a thumbs up from another forum I use. I have tried it once with potatoes and the results were poor but perhaps I didn't do everything right. I'm thinking root crops that require a bit of work to remove would or may stand a better chance of not going missing. I mentioned the Good Life and in that it was leeks that were stolen as they are so easy to pull up.
CrazyDane, also something to think about and to be fair my herbs on the front do look just like a flower bed, albeit an unloved one when I left some of the sorrel to go to seed to collect as most would probably think they are weeds
Ultimately over a few years people ( well the neighbours at least ) would most likely realise that I was growing food crops so any form of concealment or camouflaging would become slightly less effective but unless something major goes down I can't foresee any of my neighbours raiding the patch.
No digging potatoes works great if you use old bales of straw and a thin layer of soil. cardboard bottom straw soil potatoes thin layer soil straw and repeat 2-3 times. i have used this as i had an overflow of straw i needed to get worked into the soil. i know theres an old guy on youtube showing you this and his result after
Hi grenfell, re the bamboo, yes, that made me stop and think - pandas have to work very hard to get their nutrition, don't they. I found this, tho, that might be of interest: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 147.x/full
I guess I'd think of it in the same way as cucumbers or courgettes or something: variety, texture, micronutrients, all play a part. Not a problem if you disagree, I was just thinking out loud
I haven't read this tread in its entirety, so these may have been mentioned already. I have concentrated on plants that have colour and therefore look as though they may belong in a front garden, not just a vegetable plot.
Borage: Has medicinal properties and can be used in soups. Has beautiful blue flowers that the bumblebees love. The flowers can also be frozen into your ice cubes, to brighten up your G&T! Best grown with supporting canes.
Mustard: Will grow to 3-5 feet. Bright yellow flower-heads. As with borage, bees / hover-flies like this plant: also, it requires support (I grow mustard within a circle of wire fencing, which provides the required support). Mustard leaves can be added to curries or salads. Let the seed-pods dry-out thoroughly before harvesting the seeds.
Nasturtiums (sp?): All parts can be eaten and the young seed-pods (so-called 'English capers') are spicy and can be pickled for eating over the winter.
Thanks Mr R, seems we have a similar way of looking at things . I do have several herbs in the front at the moment along with wild strawberry plants and the almond tree. I'm growing borage round the back at the moment alongside the tomatoes. Allegedly it's beneficial to the toms. The plan is to harvest seeds and replant some on the front.
If I do go ahead and put potatoes in they won't be grown there permanently as I shall change to another crop , ideally I would like perennials that I could plant , forget and harvest and I also want low value crops that hopefully won't grow legs.
I have not heard of borage being referred to as a companion plant to tomatoes, but it make sense as borage will attract the pollinators and its tap root will draw-up nutrients. You learn something everyday.
I had a few more thoughts this morning, as I was pottering about the garden.
Chives: I grow these in thin rows around the boarder. If you let them flower, they will attract the bees etc.
Garlic: I grow garlic for two reasons. The first, using bulbs from the garden centre, is for harvest. The second, using odds and sods from the kitchen (small bulbs that have formed part of a garlic head, from the shop), I will plant in the boarders and let them grow to flower. They look pleasant and you can use the resulting seeds (and bulbs) in cooking.
Bay: If you have a 'spare corner', you may want to consider growing a bay tree. They will grow in more or less any soil. As they are evergreen, they have the added benefit of providing 'security' cover, if you need it (i.e.: nosey neighbours can't see into your living room!) and it also provides a good roosting place for our feathered friends during the winter. DO NOT buy a bay tree - I think that they have become 'fashionable' and therefore expensive. They grow easily from cuttings, so find one in your area and ask the owner for a twig, or two.
Lavender: Apart from smelling nice, it has a multitude of uses.
Dandelions: A useful plant for pollinators, as they are one of the first plants to flower in the Spring, in the UK. Leaves can eaten in salads, roots turned into 'ersatz coffee' and I am sure that it has many other uses.
Fennel and Dill: Handsome plants if you can grow them - I am told that they are very easy to grow, but they clearly hate my soil! - and useful for cooking.
Thanks Mr R , with the exception of dill I've got all of the above. Well maybe not the dandelions as I try and remove them from the garden as I can find them elseware. I'm not too keen on them for salads as I find them a little bitter but did make some coffee from the roots recently. Certainly smells and looks like coffee and the taste is there too. I don't actually like coffee but the other half said it was ok and better still if mixed with a little real coffee. The only downside is the amount of decent sized roots that are required to make a good quanity of coffee.
My bay was grown from a cutting and frankly wants a good trim now. I'll probably try to root some cuttings and stick them on freecycle or similiar.
One mention of borage I found on tinterweb said growing it alongside tomatoes improves the taste of the toms but I'll take that with a pinch of salt.
but then i've always had a ton of foods growing in pots hangers and so on. (you can have a lot of food growing in pots on a balcony 2½x3 meters 
