Isobel has been sewing wild flower seeds to make a meadow area round the new fruit trees that aren’t getting the potato treatment this year. I’m looking to transplant a bit of comfrey for mulching into the other part of the woodland garden and am going to broadcast a bit of landcress which is a great self seeder and a good standby for winter salad. [...]
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Sheet Mulching is a technique useful in converting grass or flower beds into productive ground. We are using it as a technique for building our forest garden by using it as part of the sequence towards perennial planting. Basically you cover the ground with something organic and rottable that the weeds can’t get through. Old Carpets and rugs made from natural fibres like cotton and wool are good as is cardboard. [...] Down here not a million miles away from the Ashdown Forest we have packs of wild deer roaming the countryside looking for things to munch. As part of the development of the Forest garden we have been protecting the fruit trees and Camellias with plastic mesh cages. However at the Intelligent Garden we like to work with nature where possible so I was delighted to come across this piece via Twitter. I’ve reproduced some of it because it’s so useful. [...] Well we’re certainly doing some of that here. Haven’t mowed the lawn yet but we’ve been dividing up perennials and sticking them into the new hedge. And the potatoes are chitting at the moment ready for their role in the pincer movement against weeds – sheet mulch, compost , potatoes – around the new fruit trees. [...] LInk to growing guide for first time users [...] Some interesting advice from Monty Don on the Christmas Gardener’s World this week covering putting the garden to bed and getting fruit trees and rhubarb in. [...] Now the leaves are off the trees, it’s time to take hardwood cuttings It’s an easy and reliable method for propagating deciduous trees, shrubs and climbers. The “season” lasts from now until late winter. [...] Those of you who follow Gardener’s World may remember that Monty Don was warning you about these last week. If you don’t nobble them now they’ll keep on chomping away at your plants and their roots all through the winter so that by the spring they’ll be feeling sorry for themselves. [...] |
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