It does not feel like it right now, but spring really is just around the corner. The days are getting longer, and some of the buds are fit to burst. We still have time to get the compost and paths in place, and there are seedlings of lettuce, radish, spring onions, cabbage, calabrese and spinach on their way, filling up window ledges. The aim is to be planting these sowings in mid-March with any luck.
Still lots of work to be getting on with, and in fact we have not stopped over the winter period at all – take note all the fair weather gardeners out there!
I have only just come back from a course with Charles Dowding, the guru of ‘no dig’ gardening. There were people on the course from all over the UK, and also from Europe and America. I have practiced ‘no dig’ for some time, and I know it works, but Charles also has some very interesting methods of sowing, planting and harvesting, for maximum cropping and higher yields for the available growing space. No dig is about feeding the soil, not the plants, as they take what they need from the soil. So, keep an eye on the garden to see what we get growing this year. The trick is to be able to time when replacement plants or seeds are needed, and to avoid empty spaces during the faster growing seasons. From the pictures you can see he keeps a tidy, orderly garden, and attention to detail is second to none. However, it was also good to see that Mr Dowding is not perfect either and has disasters just the same as everybody else! If you are interested in ‘no dig’, there are many instructional videos to be found on Youtube.
What’s next?
- Keep weeding
- More paths to finish
- More compost and wood chips to move to the garden.
The market garden of Charles Dowding The market garden of Charles Dowding The market garden of Charles Dowding
