Weeds, weeds and more weeds

A lot of the walled garden is used for growing veg in various shapes and sizes. However the beds that we have allocated for flowers have not been utilised in a long time so they are fairly overgrown with weeds and self seeded plants. All apart from one of the beds by the longest stretch of wall, which needs some plants moving to a different spot in the main garden to free up the whole bed for us to use.

Like with most things in life the hardest work is in the prep. In this case it's clearing, weeding and turning the compacted soil and of course fertilising it. Lucky for us there is a reliable source of manure from the livery that is also on the farm so we have amazing home made organic food for the flowers!

It is pretty backbreaking at times but the weather has been on our side and the rain has softened the ground and the sun has stayed out whilst we've worked. The thing we both agree is magical about the process is that you see results so quickly. What was once covered in weeds soon becomes clear, rich soil and the fruits of the labour payoff in the same day. It is satisfying and tiring in the best possible way.

We've (well, mostly Liz) have shovelled a LOT of poo to feed the beds that need the extra nutrients and what felt a bit like a never ending list of jobs has been smashed in the space of 2 or 3 weeks. 

   
Ruth & Liz getting stuck in, Liz shovelling poop, breaking ground in the beds.

It's still in living memory when the walled garden at the farmhouse was in all of it's glory and it is a stark reminder of how quickly nature reclaims the land when it is left for even a short time. Overgrown areas that were once tamed and structured giving themselves over to the elements.

That's what makes the clearing jobs so satisfying, that this whole area is being reclaimed and restored and will also provide a space for the whole family to enjoy in years to come. We know that the hard work isn't just for the flowers it's also as a gift to the farm to rebuild something that has been lost to time.

September jobs done

So that's been September for us, getting all the prep done now so we can pat ourselves on the back in Spring when things need to go in the ground - hopefully well fed, beautifully rich with nutrients, ground! We've made amazing progress and seriously put our backs in getting ahead for the winter.

Now all of the ground is prepped it is soon time to start sowing our autumn batches of seeds. Most things need to be overwintered under glass so it's on to building cold frames and hoping the weather cools off soon so we can utilise the spaces in the greenhouses.