“Weed it and reap” is an old garden saying, and although we might be behind in the weeding of our new veg beds, no sooner had our first veg arrived than it seemed we were suddenly reaping a glut of veg.
Including, pleasingly, some vegetables like beetroot and cabbages, which we hadn’t tried growing before when we were container growing in our small backyard previously. Continue reading
Another of the joys at The Secret Acre in making a start on the garden this year has been unexpected discoveries of some of the things already lurking in the undergrowth.
But we were still surprised by our unexpected wheat harvest.
In a neglected grass verge overdue the attentions of the strimmer, two ears of wheat proudly emerged, presumably from seeds blown in from a nearby farmer’s field!
No sooner had we opined that our new veg bed might successfully produce some harvest after all, than our first veg duly arrived in the form of Broad Beans.
In fairness the young broad bean plugs has been gifted to us by a kindly neighbour, rather than being fully our own work, but we are still taking it as a win.
Fortunately we also happen to love broad bean pesto discovered a few years ago thanks to the services at the time of an Able & Cole veg box, and can highly recommend it to you if you’ve never tried it.
The Veg Beds in May
Well at least (most) things are growing in this year’s first test vegetable beds.
Already we are learning lots of useful things for next year, including the undoubted benefits of more manure, lots more manure. And the sensible advice of our much more experienced neighbours to provide a good level of protection on certain crops. Continue reading
If I’m honest, up to now I’ve been a bit of a Flower Nazi, much to Emma’s annoyance.
In my defence, being an urban container grower with a flat’s six foot balcony, or a terrace’s five foot square concrete backyard, doesn’t leave much room for flowers taking up valuable growing space. Continue reading
Of course the first thing the novice needs to tackle, when getting going on veg growing, is the sowing of the seed. A timeless wonder of nature explained so well in The Young Ones I seem to remember. Continue reading
So that’s decide then, we’ll make a start on this Good Life thing by getting going on the veg growing this year, and worry about getting animals next year.
Time is pressing…
“Delve in! The year’s before us. Spring’s promise fills the air” – Frederick Frye Rockwell, “Invitation” Around the Year in the Garden, 1913. Continue reading
Of course the whole reason for moving to The Secret Acre is to grow our own and be more self-sufficient(ish). So it is frustrating this year, while the house is getting its eco-makeover and we are not yet living on site to properly tend a veg patch, that our planting plans have had to be made for 2016, which still seems a lifetime off. Continue reading
While the eco-makeover of the smallholding’s accommodation carries on, Emma and I continue to seek as much practical help and advice as we can to prepare for the adventure ahead.
So it was one Saturday last month that we found ourselves visiting The Empire Farm in Somerset for their course ‘Living the good life on less than an acre’ which sounded perfect for us at The Secret Acre. Continue reading
In 2014 we finally took the plunge and decided to put life before work.
The result was to take on a one acre smallholding near Stroud. Both the land and the bricks and mortar are in need of renovation as Estate Agents say!
So, our first tasks in 2015 are an eco-makeover of the house, prepare the veg beds, and repair the greenhouse and orchard for a productive 2016.
The Secret Acre 