Expansion/Progression

The fruit tress and bushes are all finally in, it's been just over a week since we planted them and they are holding up pretty well. The mini food forest is quickly taking shape and it's now all down to being patient and waiting for the trees and bushes to begin bearing fruit. So exciting, the forest garden space is based on a low maintenance design and will be jammed packed with perennial food plants. A forest garden is designed to incorporate layers, we have just planted the canopy layer, which constitutes the large fruit trees, and the shrub layer, which consist of fruit bushes. Once these are well established we will be adding the climbing layer and ground cover layer.  

The newly planted food forest

Shrub level, fruit bushes

I know it doesn't look like much now but check back in a couple of years and we'll be overwhelmed by both fruits and vegetables.

The kitchen garden has also been planted up this week. This space is home to most of the salad plants like lettuce, spinach, rockets, and also cooking herbs. This space is the closest bed to the house and this is so we will be able to keep an eye in the more delicate plants and also to make it easy and convenient to harvest regularly used crops like cut and come again salad leaves. 

The kitchen garden site

Our little perennial herb garden

The main crop garden is slowly being planted up to capacity. We have had to add another bed to allow for more main crops. At the moment we have planted broad beans, garlics, onions, carrots and potatoes in their final positions and have alot more crops brewing in the green houses.

Partially planted bed (L-R; broad beans, potatoes, garlics)

New bed extension (onions and carrots at far end)

We were graced with the presence of our youngest volunteer this week. A very keen individual who took a real liking to the art of gardening. No such thing as too young to garden.

The next generation of gardeners

The wild life garden is also beginning to take shape. We managed to acquire some pond plants and they have taken well to their new home. We have also had more guests checking into our insect hotel. We have not seen any frogs, toads, or newts yet but we are hopeful, it's still early days and we have built a small rockery and log pile to try and encourage these creatures to the space, time will tell. The area around the pond has been fenced off in the spirit of health and safety. 

  The ever changing wildlife garden space

We have got a lot of seeds propagating inside the mini green houses under our polytunnel. We have got tomatoes, sweet and chilli peppers, melons, onions, and aubergines. Most are just beginning to break the surface and will soon be ready for transferring to their final growing positions.

Propagation taking place inside the polytunnel