Here come the Crops

And we say, it’s all right.

Despite the Climate Change driven drought, summer abundance arrived at The Secret Acre.

It all made for a busy July and August, along with the usual influx of willing helpers at the start of the school holidays.

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How it’s going on the Veg Patch

Here’s a quick pictorial catch up of how it’s going on The Secret Acre Veg Patch after our unexpected slow start to the year.

Overall, things have caught up pretty well considering our chaotic spring, and garlic, field beans, salads, strawberries and red currents are all ready to start to harvest.

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White Dog, Blue Bells, Slow Start

Despite our usual New Year optimism for the gardening year ahead, an unexpected combination of care duties, hospital treatment and Covid, meant that we are having a very slow start to our spring at The Secret Acre.

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Sunny September’s Harvest

Here’s our quick pictorial look at some of September’s harvest season action at The Secret Acre.

As is so often the case now under climate change, awful August gave way to warmer days again in September, as soon as the school had gone back (September was second warmest on record for the UK), before autumn could return again properly in October.

In the garden, flowers, fruit and veg all continued in abundance as we moved into this harvest festival and apple pressing season.

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Flaming June on the Veg Patch

Here’s a quick pictorial look at some of the June’s garden action at The Secret Acre.

After a slow start, due to the weird Spring weather, June finally delivered some warm sunshine allowing the garden to burst into life.

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A new toy, and more garlic

Ever since we got the ride on mower, I have secretly coveted a toy, sorry important farming accessory, to tow behind it!

It turned out there is a whole catalogue of possibilities, none of which I could really justify the expense of to Emma. Continue reading

Nursey Times, Lockdown Hair, and Pallet Man Rides Again

We’re currently busy with the annual planting out now that the risk of frost has passed.

There was some unusually late frost here last week that had us dashing out for several nights to fleece the young potatoes. The first time we’ve ever had to do this, as climate change driven weather extremes continue to build. Continue reading

Seeds of Life

The arrival of spring once again heralds the start of another year of seed sowing here at The Secret Acre.

As always at this time of the year, I like to remind people of this little favourite video clip that perfectly explains nature!

And for this year, here (below) is a second little clip of our first tray of new 2020 seeds.  Continue reading

Greenhouse is Go… finally!

The arrival of spring has heralded the completion of some of this year’s winter jobs at The Secret Acre ready for the growing season ahead.

Long term followers of our blog will know that saving the overgrown greenhouse from oblivion was pretty much the very first job, a three day long battle, which we urgently undertook when moving into the property.

Although the subsequent reglazing then went on to take several years longer than anticipated! Continue reading

Planting Out

The strange feeling of ‘veg bed competence’ we had at the start of May has somehow survived through to end of the month.

Surely it can’t last!

The greenhouse seedlings (pictured left) rapidly turned into a veritable garden nursery vision of plug plants demanding to be planted out against the risks of any late frosts. Continue reading