I’ve been away. Not only that, I’ve time travelled! With the garden mostly under control it was the perfect time to have a bit of a holiday. For the keen gardener mid-winter really is the best time to take a break as there isn’t really a lot going on and besides – it is cold and miserable so who wouldn’t want to go somewhere tropical? … Continue reading Under the sun
After my recent confession on the failure of the first orchard in the new place, I am determined to get it right the second time. So the first thing I did was research the trees I wanted first based on who needed a pollinator and which varieties were best, then narrowing that list down to the give us something for every season and even in … Continue reading New Orchard Take Two
We are firmly on the down hill run to spring and the final weeks of winter are imminent. Ordinarily this fills me with excitement and a large portion of my being is jumping with joy. The rest of me really wants to apply some kind of seasonal hand brake. There is still too much to be done. I have my lists and a loose sense … Continue reading Boxed in
While we were away, I did do a lot of thinking about what needs to be done to get the garden ready for the spring. I have a fixed vision in my head of how I want it to be and it is shaping up nicely. But things were also happening behind the scenes. I’m not all that great with my spatial awareness as shown … Continue reading Lists of things to do
After all of the dramatic events of the last nine months – making the decision to move, preparing the house to sell, not to mention the extremely stressful sale process. That is the only thing you can’t control and stands firmly between you and your dreams. Then making the move to the new place, with the festive season smack bang in the middle of the … Continue reading I’ve been away
We are still in mid winter for a couple more days and then there is only August standing between us and spring. This winter is just zipping by! My to do list in the early winter seemed manageable, but now I’m not so sure. I’m beginning to run out of winter! Who would have thought that I would be considering wishing winter would slow down … Continue reading Washy Washy
Who said winter was the quiet season? I feel like I’ve got a list a mile long to get things done before the seasons change into the busyness of spring. I’ve worked hard already this winter to try and keep on top of the beds to stop the weeds from truly taking over and I have the sector systems to thank for having a winter … Continue reading Mixing things up
Sector 4 is all fruit so no planning needed there – all I have to do before the season changes is evict the aging three year old strawberries and replace them with their offspring runners to keep the production of delicious berries at an optimum. So that leaves the back row that forms sector 5. If you take the two raspberry beds (27 and 28) … Continue reading Garden Planning – the Final Push
Sector three was once the outer edge of the garden. I’m not entirely sure how it has become part of the heart of the garden, but I think I may need a fence. I’m really pleased with my sector systems as it helps break down my large garden on so many levels – weeding, watering and feeding a sector a day makes the insurmountable achievable. … Continue reading Planning the Garden – Sector Three
There is something special about tomatoes. They complete a garden and epitomise summer. I’m not sure if it is the fragrance the plants emit from the moment they emerge from the seed raising mix and I love to run my hand over the small army of tiny seedlings in order to get a burst of this scent of summer in the early days of spring. … Continue reading Planning the Garden – Tomatoes
