Where are the UK´s wild flowers?

The beauty of the meadows never ceases to amaze me. The number of wild flowers and I don´t have a clue what they are but what a sight. I have never seen this in the UK? They may well exist but here they area every where!

What next?

I want to make use of the space created by digging out around the house. I picture raised beds (square ones!) and a fruit area or even a mixture of the two. The boundary is interesting as it borders a forest of pine with some wild chestnut and oak springing up in between. It has to be as self sustaining as possible as there is only one of me but as it will be outside the future kitchen it will be the main zone 1 area.

The area is blossoming as there has been so much rain. The locals tell me it is not good for wine or the potatoes as the potato growth has all been upwards and not into the tubers. Good job I

didn´t get around to planting potatoes this year!

What´s done well.

The Jeruslame Artichokes which I thought would fail miserably having never grown them before and having to stick them in a cold, wet shady corner of the house, have done me proud! Don´t yet know what they will be like to eat but they look impressive. Thumbs up to for the sorrel, at least I think it´s Sorrel. It has a lemony taste. Most of the perennial salad stuff I´ve not really enjoyed taste wise although to look at it´s good.

There has been an unusal amount of rainfall this year so maybe that helped.

Making use of what´s available

I saved the top soil from what was dug out around the house. At the moment I have it stacked in one place so to make use of it I created a temporary trench and planted Kale for the hens and more lettuce. Let´s see how it does.

Key Holes

I tried out a key hole but I quite like square beds - maybe it´s something to get used to.

I´ve used it for the herbs and to start off seedlings. There are little lizards living in the walls and I´m no botanist/biologist but I think it´s vegetarian! The seedlings disappear! I have put in rocket which has gone quickly to flower and I have to say is a bit on the peppery side for my taste. The onions did ok but they are very small and are growing very slowly. Could this be the affect of the Walnut leaves falling in this area! Yes there are nettles in the picture too - apparently they help tomatoes grow well - feeble excuse!

Little time for PC

Well I have tried to use what was learnt on my PC course but to be honest I lack the discipline of sitting down and doing the planning. The ideas stay in my head until I actually do it and I learn from the process of doing it. The above picture looks like a real mish mash of vegetation and I guess that is exactly what it is. I´ve used Phacelia and red clover to improve the soil and keep it covered and I have a soft spot for bees. I have planted marigolds to attract those good little bugs. I have tried to create a stacking situation by using corn with beans growing up them although the beans have gone above and beyond their call of duty and for ground level there are some pumpkins. Can you spot them?

In case you can´t here is a close up.

I have mixed up lots of other plants probably to their detriment - I have read that tomatoes don´t do well next to brassicas but so far they seem ok. I have tried to pack them in but the weeds still get in there! Did I say weeds - I mean very annoying couch grass!

I have hens now. I bought 4, one was sick from day one and doesn´t lay but I have been innundated with eggs from the other three who are intent on causing total havock with seedlings and plants depsite being given a very nice fenced off part of the garden - grass is always greener on the other side for hens too so it seems! I also have two bantems acquired from Paul and Emily who have taken a bit of bullying off the big brown mamas but this seems to have calmed down.