Here is a question for everyone which has got me pondering more after the recent thread regarding having £1k to spend on the garden. 
Here is an aerial picture of my veg patch area and a rough plan with approx measurements to our boundaries instead of the hedges currently. We have a small apple tree in situ roughly where the scribble is. There are also some soft fruit bushes and an edged bed in the area but these are moveable. 

I'm after peoples thoughts regarding a few things. The south and west boundaries are leylandii hedges which our previous house owners have let get overgrown, we are keeping them at their current size as best we can but at approx 8-10' high and 5-7' thick they need to go. 
I'm wondering whether to replace the south boundary with a low ish (4-5') hedge or fence (our neighbours say they're happy with anything different and are willing to help with cost). I'm thinking with the west hedge to do a fence to keep veg patch separate from the lawn beyond and on the west side grow cordon fruit trees. I cant decide where to put the break in the fence, either by the shed corner or in the middle where the hole through the hedge currently is.

Next in the grand plan is probably some extra beds, I may get rid of the edged bed in the middle and make several smaller ones in a potager style arrangement. 
All thoughts and suggestions greatly taken. 

PS we know the ground under the hedge is going to need lots of organic matter to rejuvenate it. Also we have at another boundary approx 150' of mixed deciduous mainly hawthorn hedge which we majorly replanted a few years ago to make it stock proof again, so I may be looking at something different for this area for more diversity.

If you won £1000 to spend on your garden or allotment, what would you buy?

It was a question Mrs Boss posed and I couldn't really think as I have two tunnels and three greenhouses already.

What would you spend it on?

i just tried to add a signature with my location, etc, but I keep getting a 403 Forbidden error. I tried logging out and logging back in, but no luck. Are there restrictions on the board that I'm not aware of?

Am I too late? I usually prune right after picking but we didn't get any fruit this year (one night the trees had 20-30 plums each, the next morning, nothing  ) so missed the pruning cue. 
It should be warm well into October and maybe later, our first frost was mid-November last year, and only wet - if it ever rains properly again - from early November.
I need to do quite a drastic prune on both trees, removing about a third of the canopy. This will be the final third after the trees were neglected in their formative years by me!
Thanks all

I'm not being alarmist but I do want to be ready, just in case.

Yes - its that bladdy virus that's been going around for a while now. When they introduced lockdown, there was panic buying and toilet rolls were like hen's teeth  (and I know all about hen's teeth.
I've been trying to remember the things I ran out of and, if there's another lockdown, I want to be prepared. I'm not going to stockpile but I do want to have a reserve - just in case. 

I'm curious what you ran out of - if you did.
For me, it was toilet rolls and paper tissues, tinned beans, tinned fish, dog food, peanut butter, nuts, granola, coffee - all of which have a long shelf life. Makes sense to me to buy some extras while I can.
I'm hoping to get a few chooks to keep me in eggs and I'll stock up on chicken food when I do.
Also some bread flour and yeast - and find my bread maker. 
Should have enough fruit in the freezer and  some fresh veg in the garden/GH - but not spuds so may buy in a sack, just in case.

Anyone else, thinking along these lines?

Folks I’m sorry I’ve been missing for so long but the last few weeks have been interesting to say the least. 
OH ended up in hospital with pneumonia and sepsis again. Very poorly but now home. 
To get to the hospital 14 miles away is 2 bus rides that used to take about an hour and a half each way. Now due to COVID and the incessant urge from the water board to dig up the main road and create 7 mile diversions it takes 2 and a half hours each way. 
OH has Early Onset Dementia so spending as much time at the hospital is essential. 

Fast forward to Sunday night. 

Anyone with a delicate disposition please don’t read this next bit. 

6 visits to the loo and I was stressing about not checking the use by date on my teatime yoghurt whilst being amazed at the human intestines ability’s to sound like a semi in bunged drainpipes. 
So, musing these important issues I heard a squeak. 
Now, our elderly dog has several toys that all squeak and she treats like her babies. 
Old dog going nuts looking for her baby who is apparently squeaking in distress. 

I’m in the loo pondering my ability to be the planets first human jet washer so ask still poorly OH to let Mags out to fetch the lime green duck baby she has left in the garden. Out she goes duckless. OH  goes outside naked to show where daft dogs duck is. 

Then ensued a stand off between dog and massive hedgehog who was the squeaking culprit. Hog choose to ball up and let green duck mum to get her baby. 

Welcome to the world of chaotic eleflumps.

Hardneck - softneck... argh.. Not sure what i should be looking for, I like getting things in sales, but really enjoyed having garlic fresh from garden this year.

Thinking I will invest i some bulb, so we get a garlic corner going. All advice welcome please x

A bit surprised that anyone would need to buy these seeds. We have an abundance here, and would be easy to find along verges 

https://www.premierseedsdirect.com/produ...elion-new/

Just for PP, and any other that is not particularly keen on a sharp pickled beetroot, here is a recipe handed down from my grandmother.

6lb of Beetroot, boiled until you can stick a knife in and it comes out easily.
1 3/4 Pints Malt Vinegar
1 1/4 Lbs Sugar
2 Tbsp English Mustard Powder
2 Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

Cook beetroot and chop as per preference, if they are little keep them whole. fill appropriate lidded vessel just below rim. Bring other ingredients to a boil, with the extractor going full blast boiling vinegar really clears the sinuses!! Fill jars to the top and store. Leave at least 3 months before opening so to allow the beetroot to absorb the flavours, these are a great addition to a salad, or my favourite beetroot and cheese sandwiches.

Don’t worry the liquor looks cloudy that’s perfectly normal, it’s the mustard.

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Just wondering how you use your undercover areas (that's the GH & PT, you norty minds) through the winter months.
What do you grow or do you empty it out, clean it up and close it down for spring?