The Journey So Far...

We moved to this house Jan 2008. Mainly because I had decided that we absolutely had to have a big garden for growing stuff, keeping chickens and so the children could run around. I had only ever grown a few strawberries, herbs and tomaotoes in pots before.

The garden was a mess, in two parts with half of it overgrown, and some massive evergreens near the house.

We set about clearing some of the trees (all except the apple), and bringing the two parts together.

We made 6 beds, 4 of them raised, which I thought would be all I needed for growing (beds were 8 feet by 3 feet each). I had some veg in the flower beds (courgette, pumpkin, squash and PSB).
We put in more fruit trees as well as a 4 year old cherry we brought with us from the old house.

We got 3 chickens, put them in a homemade 6 feet by 6 feet run, let them weed some of the ground for us, then moved them to a permanent run of about 24 feet by 20 feet. They are much happier in there but sadly the grass is long gone!

We bought a coldframe then a greenhouse.

I had success with most things last year (but don't talk to me about brassicas, I should have listened to the man next door) but have decided we need more growing space, so we are currently working to make 4 raised beds, 11 feet by 5 feet each, plus one smaller one at the side of the greenhouse. I hope this is the only time I will say we need 'bigger'!

Not been able to get out much this year so far as it's been sooo cold - and I have a lot of digging to do to get the new beds ready for planting!