The wildlife garden in March

All of the sun that we have had in the last few days has meant that the wildlife has started to emerge in the wildlife garden and because I am not very good at naming insects, I am focusing on trying to identify one bit of wildlife each time I visit. About 10 days ago I saw and managed to photograph this bee; Bombus lapadarius or Red-tailed bumble bee.

Joy Simpson

10 things I didn't know about soil

I was given  a couple of books for Christmas about soil. I read the fun-looking one a while ago but left the more serious one, Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis,  and have only just got round to it. It turns out that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover! I learnt masses from the second book so here are my top 10 amazing facts.

Joy Simpson

Rooting for Potatoes

I am one of those people who does not like to spend too long in the kitchen preparing food to store it and would rather explore how I can grow and harvest crops throughout the year.  I have managed this with carrots, leeks and beetroot, and this year with fennel as well. It is all about when you sow the seed and how well they can sit out the winter. Fennel, for example, will only survive the winter under cover but does so very well.  Last week, I found a bag of forgotten potatoes all sprouting and a few rotting at the back of my shed at home and it started me wondering whether there was a way to grow potatoes so that you could harvest them all year round and it turns out that there is!

Harvesting potatoes out of season is already a 'thing' as many people plant left over potatoes late summer to obtain a crop for Christmas day. What I want to know is, can you harvest potatoes after Christmas day?

This post is a sharing of resources that I found on my investigations in all things potato in case anyone else would like to try something different. Growing potatoes in pots, growing very early potatoes, growing very late potatoes, growing sweet potatoes and creating your own sweet potato slips.

Joy Simpson

Different ways to compost

I am a little obsessed with compost because I can never make enough. To help, I sometimes have manure from Bruce delivered but it is so much work because, like everyone near me, you can't get a vehicle near the plot. This means it is dropped off and then has to be barrowed onto the plot. I had two loads this year, each load taking 2 hours to move and then I couldn't move the next day!

There are so many different ways of making compost and I do a bit of each because it all is used in different ways: cold composting, hot composting, worm composting and leaf mold. This post has a video explanation of each method made by a variety of growers.

Joy Simpson

The wildlife plot in November

Solidago seed head

It had been a quiet month on the wildlife plot until I decided to coppice the hazels!  There are about 8 or 9 large clumps behind the shed and behind Gorfin Hall. Normally if you have more than one hazel, you coppice them in turn so that you have stems or wands at various sizes and you can then cut them depending on what you want.  Never one to shirk, I decided to do them all in one go although when I say I did them, I have to give a massive thank you to Dave and his chainsaw as he cut and I dragged them away all over the wildlife plot and my plot.

Joy Simpson

October on the wildlife plot

Euonymus 

This is my favourite colour combination - bright pink and orange - beautifully demonstrated by the berries on the Euonymus tree on the wildlife plot. It was a bit hidden by some large suckering cherries which is such a shame because it also has fantastically coloured leaves that are bright red and is a real feature of one of the end beds down towards the bank.  The other photo is of the leaves on the Euonymus alatus in my garden and  they are the reddest of red and will become brighter and brighter as autumn continues until it looks like it is on fire.  And that is why its common name is Burning bush. A fabulous autumn display which I am working towards being more obvious on the plot next year.  This month there are: Additions to the plot, Planning for a tree guild and Things that have to go!

 

 

Joy Simpson

Seed collecting update

At the start of the year - just into lockdown - I wrote a post about collecting seed. I thought now was about the right time to do an update as we have finished harvesting much of the summer produce. I think it would be fair to say that I have got seeds drying everywhere; the polytunnel, the spare bedroom, the airing cupboard and the dining room table. So, here is what I am up to.

Joy Simpson

Avoiding rust on your garlic/leeks/onions

It doesn't seem that long ago that I pulled up my garlic - I think the days have all rolled into one at the moment because it was June. I pulled them up slightly earlier than normal because I had a rather splendid case of rust on them. It is an airborne fungus and can appear on any of the allium family.  I sometimes get it on my leeks but not my onions for some reason. So, as garlic planting time is coming up, I thought I would investigate ways to try and reduce rust.

Joy Simpson

The Wildlife Plot (HL) in September

If you are on Facebook, you might have noticed several posts offering seedlings and plants from the wildlife plot for anyone to take. My plots run alongside the Wildlife Plot and for 15+ years, I have watched the Wildlife Trust plant, weed, create and develop the garden into what it is today: A small pond, a large flower border, bug hotels, apple trees and others, compost heaps, wood piles, seating, a willow arbor and much, much more. So it was sad news to hear that they were no longer able to continue working with the plot and were stopping. 

 

Joy Simpson

National allotments week - 10th - 16th of August

National allotment week is upon us and this year the theme is 'Growing food for health and well-being', a reflection of the many benefits of growing and eating your own fruit and vegetables.  The president of the National Allotment Society, Phil Gomersall, says about this year's theme

"This year every week has been National Allotments Week, with more people than ever realising that growing your own food is a great way of eating healthily, getting some outdoor exercise in the fresh air and acquiring new skills. Plot-holders have also benefited from the contact with nature and the easy camaraderie on allotment sites, helping to retain their mental health and stay positive during these worrying times.”

And it is so true!  Coming down to the allotment has been like a small slice of normality for me.

Joy Simpson

More Articles ...

  1. Thinking ahead - seed saving
  2. The Exmouth Mutual Aid Covid-19 Support Group
  3. Closing Gates around Dusk
  4. The best blogs for vegetable growers
  5. Town Council Grant for Course and Polytunnel Project

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