Have you found that Covid forced you to consider new ways of doing things? And it’s actually been a great experience, sometimes better than how you went about things before the pandemic? In my case, that’s been the case with growing veg. I used to buy plug plants because it seemed convenient and always yielded... Continue Reading →

I just had to share this with you. I'm not trying to access the Government's Department for Work and Pensions website or some equally important service. No, this is Suttons, supplier of seeds and other horticultural products. And I'm in a queue, with more than 6000 people ahead of me! Welcome to the new normal.... Continue Reading →

What strange times we live in at the moment. Covid-19 is also affecting life on the farm and in the kitchen garden. I already miss tea breaks and lunches in the bread barn which have fallen victim to social distancing. The advice to stay at home poses its own challenges, as does the closure of... Continue Reading →

It’s been a while since my last post. Storm after storm and tons of rain meant we hardly got anything done in February. Here are some photos, showing what it’s been like at the farm:     But just in time for meteorological spring, conditions improved. In the last couple of days, we managed to... Continue Reading →

What horrible weather we’ve had this last week. First storm Ciara, and now Dennis. It’s still blowing a hooley outside as I write this. Luckily, it looks like the farm has survived the gale force winds without any major incidents. With atrocious conditions outside, it’s been a time for indoor activities, such as chitting seed... Continue Reading →

I used the recent dreich weather to come up with a proper planting calendar for the kitchen garden. No more stressing over ad-hoc, last minute planting in 2020! First up on my list of vegetables is garlic. February is the right time for spring planting garlic and shallots, though the RHS cautions this should only... Continue Reading →

We’re busy in the kitchen garden! The spring planting season is approaching fast so we got our tools out and made the most of last week’s sunny days. With some expert advice from Dan, Rob braced the wind and chilly temperatures to set up the next batch of raised beds. One of the reasons why... Continue Reading →

When you’re caught up in everyday life, it’s sometimes easy to forget how much has been accomplished. Going through the photos of the kitchen garden recently, I was reminded of how much the site has changed over the past six months. Here are some pictures, illustrating our journey so far, from an open piece of... Continue Reading →