garden changes

This was my back garden taken on a winter day earlier this year. The garden is long and narrow, about 80 foot long. At the bottom is a large sycamore tree which shades a large are. There is an apple tree and a small wildlife pond. By the house is a small patio and the rest is laid to grass.
For the last few years we have tried to grow some vegetables in pots and tubs, with a little success. Last year we dug over a patch of the grass to create a tiny vegetable plot, this was soon filled and we were running out of space to put the pots.



So this year we planned to build some raised beds. We decided that we couldn't move the apple tree so they would have to be built around it.







I wanted this area divided off from the rest of the garden with arches and a flower bed. The first arch was built on an angle to met up with the shed.









The other are was built on an angle on the other side, both of these were lined up with the paths between the raised beds.

Lukey dug the beds quite deeply and pulled out as many roots and weeds as he could.

We then took a trip to Capel st Mary armed with wellies, spades and plastic sacks to get some spent organic mushroom compost. I didn't think that it would smell quite as bad as it did and since then have always given my mushrooms an extra scrub. We went to a place along the Harwich Road that sells wood chips and bagged up our own. This was laid on the paths between the bed. I think that it looks lovely and have spent a lot of time in my "vegetable garden".



Soon they were planted, growing and now we are harvesting. For the last 3 weeks I have been picking a handful of runner beans each day. I grew them with some borage and sweet peas









This is a picture of the cabbages, sweetcorn and beetroot.

We have grown: potatoes, onion, cabbages, carrots, spring onions, beetroot, swiss chard, lettuce, cucumbers, sweetcorn, runner beans, courgettes, butternut squash, coriander, peas and tomatoes.

I have also got french beans growing, these were put in late, in a gap I had to see what will happen. We have planted some winter vegetables- purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and brussel sprouts. They are covered with netting to keep the butterflies off as they lay eggs which turn in to caterpillars who eat the leaves. Our butterflies are very clever as they have managed to get in and we are picking off the caterpillars!

I still don't think that I have enough room to grow what we need so have put my name down for an allotment, I am number 10 on the waiting list. I think that I may be waiting some time.