Sorry for the random posts, life is hectic as usual. Our son had another operation on Monday so I have been spending an awful lot of time at the hospital then I came down with a jippy tummy, the only thing I could put it down to was a coffee at the hospital cafe, I do wonder if they clean the machines properly!
Anyway I have lots of plans for the house and garden but with a very sick son plans have been put on hold for a lot of things. It would be very easy to just give up on it all what with everything else that has been going on, however I am determined to grow some of our favourite things in the space I have managed to clear. By writing this down I'm hoping to give myself a kick up the backside to get on with it. I'm sure it will all be very hit and miss as I am very new to this grow your own malarkey, but this is what I have managed to do so far.
I am a huge fan of the 'no dig' philosophy so have been putting this into practice on my totally overgrown veg patch. Rather than try to tackle everything which is pretty impossible at the moment, I wanted to get at least two little plots ready for planting. I covered the ground with cardboard to suppress the weeds then put several inches of compost and well rotted manure on top. The paths around the plot will have cardboard and compost put on them and the rest of the plot will have black garden plastic to suppress the weeds including bindweed until I have the time to work on them. I am hoping to get another small bed ready for herbs. The polytunnel has a few weeds and nettles around the edges which I can easily deal with then cover the rest with compost and manure ready for my tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, courgettes etc. This will mean a lot of lugging barrow loads around but I will do as much as I can each day. In the mean time I have planted some early potatoes in bags and buckets in the poly.
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| I have started to put cardboard around the beds, but ran out! These will be covered with compost. |
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| Fleece covering the first bed. |
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| Starting some early potatoes |
In the first bed I prepared I have some garlic growing and recently sowed radishes, kale, chard and shallots which I covered with fleece. In the second bed I sowed some carrots in a manure free section, ( I read somewhere that they can 'fork' with too much manure) I will be sowing spinach, beans, sweetcorn and pattypans. I have sown some peppers in a heated propagator so fingers crossed these will make an appearance soon.
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| Bindweed everywhere! I'm sure it will take forever to get rid of it all |
It doesn't seem like I've done much, but looking back at the plot when we moved in there is some progress and hopefully we will have some veg to show for the effort in the summer. The previous owner used it as a dumping ground and had bonfires there to burn all sorts of rubbish before he moved out.
Another bit of progress with the house is the wood burner, i'm chuffed to bits with it. It even has a little oven on the top. Having a living fire makes all the difference to a room, I love sitting a listening to it crackling away, so relaxing.
I hope you are all keeping well, I will be popping around to visit when I can,
Chickpea xx
I love it when people grow food, something I utter lack the ability to do
ReplyDeleteIf I can grow things anyone can, my kids call me Charlie 'Grim Reaper' Dimmock. I sure you could grow some spuds in a bag
DeleteYou're sounding really organised, we haven't planted a thing! It sounds like you're tackling the best way, a section at a time and I love your wood burner, I have wood burner envy xx
ReplyDeleteI think it's my way of trying to get some order in the chaos around me!
DeleteYou're doing really well, a garden is always changing and there's always things and areas to tweak - look at it as a long term project but I don't envy you that bindweed removal - good luck with that - your fire looks lovely - love the idea of the oven and I do hope your son is feeling better soon and don't forget you're doing brilliantly - give yourself a pat on the back Xx
ReplyDeleteI have a terrible feeling that come summer the bindweed will be taking over!
DeleteHope your son improves soon, love the wood burner. Planting is coming along well
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed they will actually grow after all the work!
DeleteYou are doing a great job in the garden.
ReplyDeleteLike Cheryl I have woodburner envy. That is a really nice one.
I'll continue to send healing thoughts for your son.
Hugs-x-
Thank you, healing thought are always welcome :)
DeleteLooks amazing to me. Can't imagine doing it all while tending and worrying over a sick child, but maybe it is good to have something physical to do to ease the stress a bit. Love the wood stove...with an oven on top! I once had a wood stove and a portable oven that fit on top, but yours is elegant! Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI do love my Chilli Penguin stove :)
DeleteHope your son is improving. Love the idea of the oven above the log burner.
ReplyDeleteI did some toast in it the other day, need to get more adventurous :)
Deleteoooh...dead jealous of your woodburner. *sigh* living fire, indeed..it makes everything so much cosier.
ReplyDeletegood on you for getting done what you have in the garden....it can be such an overwhelming task, trying to reclaim a patch for growing veg. I'm also a huge fan of no-dig....i hoard cardboard like a crazy person. :)
sending love and healing thoughts for your boy...xoxoxo
Thank you mel xx Nice to know you are a fellow no digger :)
DeleteThe woodburner looks fab. I really hope your sons health improves soon. In the meantime be gentle on yourself. There's only so much you can achieve and you're doing great. X
ReplyDeleteYes I do expect too much of myself sometimes!
DeleteWell done on all the veggie plot preparation. I've got my seeds sown but my plot isn't looking its best! Your wood burner looks lovely - what do you plan to cook in the oven? Here's to a speedy recovery for your brave boy. xx
ReplyDeleteThought I would start with jacket potatoes and pasties perhaps, veggie casseroles. Apparently you can cook all sorts in it including scones etc.
DeleteYou are doing REALLY well with your veggies. Definitely in front of me, I have nowhere near as much started as you. It took us a long time to get rid of all the weeds and junk when we first moved here.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes think we are as fooled by the gardening porn as much as we are by photoshopped bodies on social media and think we should have gardens that look like Monty Don's. Much as I love the man, he does employ several gardeners, so don't try to compete.
With all you are going through you are doing extremely well.
Gill
Thanks Gill, I don't think I'll ever have a tidy garden, I prefer the wild look :)
DeleteYou are making good progress, not easy when you have to split your time. I do hope your son is now making a good recovery.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne, I'm hoping I can get the poly sorted now to put all the plants in :)
DeleteFantastic, once you see everything growing that will give you all a boost.
ReplyDeleteYes fingers crossed they grow!
DeleteIt sounds like you have done so much in the garden already.nbest wishes for your son's recovery.
ReplyDeleteSome days it feels like I have done a lot, other days very little!
DeleteLove your woodburner. I bought one from Wendron Stoves and it has made all the difference to a gloomy room, and it heats the entire house. Wish I had an oven on to though.
ReplyDeleteHope your son recovers soon. I follow but don't always comment, and it seems a long time since you first mentioned he was ill. I presume it is Treliske, so I wouldn't trust the coffee ether, ha!
Ours was from Wendron Stoves, they were very helpful. I lit it last night when the wind was howling and it made the room feel so cosy. Yes it is Tresliske, but I'm a bit wary of all those coffee machines and trusting people to clean them properly. I was waiting for a coffee to be made in a very nice cafe elsewhere when after wiping the machine and worktop with those J clothes they used the barista accidentally dipped the cloth in my coffee and served it anyway. She was a bit miffed when I refused it!
DeleteYou have done so much work. I do the 'no dig' method of growing at my allotment. So much easier, although it might not seem that way at the moment! Xxx
ReplyDeleteI think it makes sense but so many people keep saying to me 'you need to get a rotavator on that' and the bearded one hates the 'untidy' cardboard!
DeleteDefinitely ignore those who want you to use a rotovator. It will chop the bindweed roots into millions of pieces each of which will grow into a new plant. We had bindweed on our old allotment. On our new ones it's mares tail. We won't use a rotovator no matter how much everyone badgers us to. You're doing brilliantly, particularly as your son has been so poorly. I hope he is feeling better soon.
DeleteThat's what I thought with the bindweed, I'm going to cover it and grow some squash on top while it's dying off
DeleteI am jealous of your stove!!! looks lovely. Little by little you will get on top of it. I have found if I try and do too large an area in the garden all at once I cant keep it up. Sad but true for me.
ReplyDeleteI love the little wood burner, so stylish. xx
ReplyDeleteIt looks as though you have done loads so don't put down your hard work. It is a big area so it is going to take time, enjoy the journey. xx
ReplyDeleteDo hope the "grand" silence is because you are busy doing happy things, not because your son is struggling again.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see how your plantings are doing. Sue