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The new veggie garden

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I’ve been promising you all for the last few weeks I would post this blog – finally got the pix out of Mr MB and promptly fell sick with a 24 hour bug… So here we go.

Two months ago, in early August, we came to an agreement with a neighbour to take over part of his garden we now have an area of approx 150 sq. metres to grow veg. in.

When we took the area over it had not been cultivated in more than 4 years and was completely overgrow with ragwort up to our waists, bramble thickets, nettles, huge dockens and other assorted ‘junk’. Oh and a hedge at top and bottom that was at least 4 metres high and had not been pruned in god knows how long. This is what we faced back in August.

Standing near the top of the garden looking down, you can just see the entrance to the veggie area. Puss is a shy one and wont play. We’ve got the use of the greenhouse for growing on seedlings etc.

This was the view in through the entrance to the veggie garden

Once inside this is what we found…

No this isn’t a fruit cage but a run they used to keep their dogs in… however, it is about to become a fruit cage Note the heap of grass clippings – there were piles of them around.

Not for the fainthearted!

The first step was to get the hedges under control, this involved pruning them back extremely hard which added two metres to the length of the garden! Then with the aid of ladders, long handled loppers and the hedge trimmer we were able to reduce the height to something more manageable. In between times we hacked the bramble thicket down getting well scratched for our efforts.

The bottom hedge after the first hard pruning back… we discovered there was a fence!

And the top hedge… Whilst I was working away on the hedges Mr MB was busy uprooting all the large weeds and starting to dig. We decided to have two beds with a path slightly offset from the gate. They are approximately the same size and one will be the moon bed and the other the control bed. Notice he has discovered two important pieces of furniture… plastic chairs for the MBs to sit and have a mug of tea on.

So the digging commenced…

We knew this was not something we would be able to do in a couple of days so we just worked away steadily with Mr MB doing the bulk of the work. Whilst I continued to tame the hedge and sort out another bramble thicket by the greenhouse which was attempting to destroy the poor wee thing.

The soil, having not been worked for four years was rather impoverished looking and full of small rootlets.

One worry was that we were seeing very few worms… a look over the fence told us why a neighbour had a flock of approx 50 hens which ate anything that moved or breathed. We began to wonder if we’d made a mistake. Then we went off to Austria for two weeks walking in the mountains and forgot all about the garden.

Once back David got into the digging again and started to mulch the ground he’d dug with the old rotted grass clipping and phacelia. Note there is now a gate at the top of the veggie garden to keep our neighbours two dogs out.

All the prunings from the hedge were laid down where the paths were going to be helping to suppress weeds and define the actual paths.

In all we discovered 3 compost bins with varying degrees of rotted down grass and compost in them.

Notice Mr MB has also lifted a lot of the slabs from the ‘fruit cage’ in preparation for the raspberry canes been planted in November. We will have both summer and autumn fruiting canes and possibly something like a Tay berry. We are in no hurry to fill up the cage as there is always another year.

The area below the fruit cage is slabbed and the slabs cemented in… so we will use this for the compost bins and to rot down grass clippings, of which there will be plenty as the rest of the garden is all down to grass

The view down the garden now that the hedge has been properly pruned and reduced in height

Meet Felix, our neighbour’s other cat… Felix is just like his namesake and goes where he pleases – we frequently find him wandering through our kitchen looking for food. Our siamese girls don’t seem to mind but we do politely show him the door.

As of last week both the beds were completely dug over mulched and will now be left until early spring unless we can source some rotted horse manure in which case that will go on the beds too.

There is yet another area below the veggie garden which is where Mr MB is standing to take these photos. This area drops down to a burn (stream) and we’ll be working on that too but more slowly. Right now it has the usual bramble thickets, elderberry trees, nettles and material we did not feel happy composting or using as mulch.

Green manure, in this case phycelia is great for adding nutriment to the soil.

Given that we sowed this just about as late as you can and get away with it I’m pleased to see it growing strongly.

The ‘almost’ tidy working area of the garden with the compost bins and tumbler. Note the rather odd wheelbarrow which we unearth from – yup another bramble thicket

We’ve never used a tumbler composter before but, in theory this should allow us to make compost more quickly… I am withholding judgement on that until we remove the first pile of compost.

So that is the new veggie garden at it looks now. I’m sorry there are no photos of Mr MB or myself working. But often David was there on his own or we forgot to take he camera over.

We’ll keep you informed as to what is going on… next month we will collect the raspberry canes from Perthshire and get them planted. Then there will be little activity until early spring.

Not shown in any of the photos is a useful little tool shed which used to be the dogs house when the fruit cage was a dog run. Not large but it means we can store tools over there rather than walking them back and fore across the road. We are now on the look out for some second hand tools to supplement what we already have. With Christmas coming up perhaps we can persuade our son to give us tools as a present. I’m sure there must be on-line store you can buy from and have delivered direct to the person.

More blog posts by moon_grower

Previous post: Cats have fun..

Next post: Growing with the Moon in November



Comments

 

Well done Mr & Mrs MB! You have both worked incredibly hard to transform that area. Here's hoping you reap the benefits next year....keep us posted on progress :)

27 Oct, 2009

 

Will do Di... thank goodness Mr MB is retired lol

27 Oct, 2009

 

it looks a serious project and you've made such a difference --i'm in awe that you've managed to turn it into such order -- will look forward to seeing it planted in the spring ..... well done!

27 Oct, 2009

 

Thanks Pamg - it really is down to Mr MB who did most of the digging. He would go over there for an hour a day, thankfully that hard work is now done.

27 Oct, 2009

 

If any of you is interested in buying the book In Tune with the Moon 2010 t a special price send me a PM.

27 Oct, 2009

 

It must have taken Mrs MB nearly as long to write this huge blog as it took me to dig the plots!!!

27 Oct, 2009

 

you are both an inspiration. Oh i long for a veggie plot and the time to do it.

27 Oct, 2009

 

No love you took a lot longer digging the beds. Or were you having a snooze in the greenhouse with Felix?

27 Oct, 2009

 

Amazing! I am sooooooo impressed with all that you two have achieved! Please keep us posted on progress.

WELL DONE!!! :-))

27 Oct, 2009

 

It was a lot of work but look at all the extra space you've got now. It's going to be great seeing all the things you'll grow there next year.
I love raspberries . They are my favourites. I have lots of canes too. I'm glad yours are protected. I have to go out early to pick them before the birds have them for their breakfast.
And you still have more room going down to the burn. You're very lucky :o)

27 Oct, 2009

 

Well done. A huge project getting that area back under control but now you can build on that hard work and, hopefully, reap the rewards next year

27 Oct, 2009

 

Hope so Hywel and Andrew - remember though this is not our garden and we don't even have allotment security. Should the current owner decide to sell we could well be out on our ear. That said having made the decision to do this we are going to do to the best of our ability. And, fingers crossed Scott wont be going anywhere for a good few years.

27 Oct, 2009

 

IWhat a shame they wont sell - hope you get many happy years from it.

27 Oct, 2009

 

Drc we went into this with total knowledge. We certainly do not want to buy the house and garden. We are very happy with our own - except, the garden is 95% rock garden, alpine and woodland plants. So - no room for veggies, even this years moon bed has already ben taken over by shrubs, plants and bulbs...

27 Oct, 2009

 

You do seem to have struck lucky didnt realsie.

27 Oct, 2009

 

Yes we have Drc and are very happy with the deal. Even though we both 'hate' cutting grass! Which is the deal cut all his grass and we get to grow the veg.

27 Oct, 2009

 

Oh - I forgot to ask if you were better, Mg! Sorry!

27 Oct, 2009

 

Much better than yesterday thanks SpritH. Seems there is yet anotehr bug doing the rounds... Now Mr MB is retired and I work from home we see far less folk, my suspicion is that we just aren't getting the natural immunity to bugs in the way we used to.

27 Oct, 2009

 

Wonderful blog MG. You've both worked so hard and I'm sure you'll enjoy all of the rewards that it will bring. Very well done to you ! :-))

27 Oct, 2009

 

We will Sue, I promise you... We're just so happy to have a 'proper' veggie garden again :-)

27 Oct, 2009

 

Can I come for dinner next year ??? lol:-)))

27 Oct, 2009

 

enjoyed the blog and you both have done a great job, look forward to seeing your fruit and veggies growing, hope it all works out well for you after all your work :o))

27 Oct, 2009

 

Sure you can Sue - more than welcome. Long way though lol

27 Oct, 2009

 

Give me time to work up an appetite for your wonderful veggies !! lol :-)))

27 Oct, 2009

 

Indeed it would...

27 Oct, 2009

 

Wow! What a work! I hope you have lots of great crops! Should do, after all that prep!
Well done, the Moonbulbs!! :~))

28 Oct, 2009

 

So much hard work I feel tired just imagining it LoL
It is a shame you can't just buy that piece of land from your neighbour.
Here's hoping you are overloaded with veggies next year

28 Oct, 2009

 

No way to buy Pip we have to walk through his garden to get to the veggie area, and no reason to really. Scott is perfectly happy with the agreement. The really hard work is behind us now, just got to keep on top of it all.

28 Oct, 2009

 

It's a good agreement, you all benefit. You get the ground you need and he now has a tidy garden

28 Oct, 2009

 

Yup a win/win situation.

28 Oct, 2009

 

Looking forward to seeing how your new plot grows. I am quite envious, lol! You got rid of a source of weeds which might have invaded your garden, and found quite a few useful items, too. Wishing you "All the Best" with this new venture. :-))

28 Oct, 2009

 

What a lovely idea, you get your veggie plot and your neighbour gets his garden tidied.
Look forward to seeing all you grow next year.

28 Oct, 2009

 

Thx. both

28 Oct, 2009

mad
Mad
 

You have both worked fantastically hard, and what a difference you've made. Will you be self-sufficient when you are up and running?
It really makes me feel tired to see the hard work thats been done, and I hope you were able to take nice long hot baths for your achey limbs and backs.
So you go on holiday, not to rest but to go walking and climbing. I do remember having lots of energy once.
By the way Felix looks as though he is wearing an old coat he got at a jumble sale!

28 Oct, 2009

 

I think Felix came from a jumble sale! No, sorry, Felix, I shouldn't have said that. With his flat face and shaggy coat he is a most unattractive cat but has a lovely temprament

28 Oct, 2009

 

Hi Mad Mr MB really did do the bulk of the work, i.e. ALL the digging! Got to keep him fit at 66! Not sure if we will be completely self-sufficient but as near as possible.

No climbing any more - just walking, and it is restful I don't need to use my brain most of the time...

Felix is a hoot, he visits all the other houses with cat flaps and enjoys whatever is down for the other cats. I've no idea why his facial hair is black and white whilst his body is an odd shade of ginger. He really needs a good grooming as he has persian in him somewhere but I don't think Scott bothers.

28 Oct, 2009

 

Mr MB shame on you... he can't help looking like he does... If the siamese girls read this they will be cross with you! He does have a super personality and is totally laid back.

28 Oct, 2009

 

Oh well done, it looks great!! As to why the cat is different - he puts his head in the shade and body in the sun to warm up - my cat used to do it all the time and was exactly the same!! (he was called Cadbury because of the different shades of chocolate colour!!)

28 Oct, 2009

mad
Mad
 

Well he looks quite content. Maybe everyone else knows but is Bulbaholic Mr. MB ? I am a bit slow on the uptake maybe. Whether I'm right or wrong, Mr MB has worked really hard and you have too. How nice if you are both on the same web site.
I hope Felix won't mind your remarks Mr MB. At least you did say he has a lovely temperament. They always say that as we grow older and uglier!

28 Oct, 2009

 

By the way the next step is to start planning what we want to grow and get the seed ordered from the Garden Organic catalogue. I foresee some interesting discussions in the MB household as we decide whether we will grow a certain veg or not.

28 Oct, 2009

 

Yes Bulbaholic and Mr Moonbulb are one and the same - remember the GoYland blogs? That is when we were christened Mr & Mrs MB. We would change our names to this if we could - not possible :-((

28 Oct, 2009

 

Moongrower that fruit cage could be turned into a nice avairy. Looks like you have been very bisy

28 Oct, 2009

 

No thanks on the aviary front...

28 Oct, 2009

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