A dead hedge

new dead hedge on the east bank

I’d read about “dead hedges” and thought they would be a good way of putting some sort of – cheap – barrier up on the bank between us and the forest on the east side of the garden. It hasn’t happened yet but wild boar and deer could easily wander in one night and eat through the garden!

It would also be a way of disposing of the large amount of “brash” (foliage, small branches etc) we seem to generate. You just need to select some thickish branches to form the stakes for either side of the hedge, then infill to form the hedge.

Its going OK at the moment and looking just like the photos I saw online, which is always heartening. We will extend as we generate more brash and coppice and “lay” some of the smaller trees on the bank to help form the barrier.

looking along the top of the hedge, stakes at either side.

dead hedge with forest behind

You can more information about dead hedges at the following links.

http://www.askorganic.co.uk/composting/Make%20a%20Dead%20Hedge.htm

http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk/healthy-soil/designing-the-plot/how-to-make-a-dead-hedge

http://allanshepherd.com/2008/04/02/the-low-carbon-garden-making-wattle-hurdles-and-dead-hedges/

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/hedge-laying.html

April Calendar

Its been a fine and dry month so far, warm for the season, though today its raining, which is good for the garden and gives me time to do this update.

Looking North

 

Looking South

A couple of the apple trees are now in blossom. This is their second year in the garden and the first blossom we have had.

Belle de Boskop

Reine de Reinette

Blueberry blossom

 

The blueberries are also covered in blossom, we lost most of the fruit last year in a bad hail storm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There has also been a lot of seeds sown!

April sowings

 

April is here and its bright, warm and sunny. We have been sowing seeds most days, according to the relevant moon dates for the different seeds.

The flowers have all come from rather wonderful Ben at The Higgledy Garden, whose seeds gave us a fabulous display last summer.  We tried an autumn sowing and overwintering the seedlings to very little success. So we have sown a new batch this spring. (Bupleurem, Calendula, Corncockle, Cornflower, Feverfew, Foxglove, Hesperis, Nigella, Phacelia, Scabiosa, Sunflower.)

These are all now in our new serre – courtesy of Lidl!

 

We have finished constructing and filling the raised beds and have put some to use immediately for shallots and beetroot. Meanwhile in the shed we have pea, squash, courgette, kale and lettuce seedlings coming through. I’ve tried to learn from last years lettuce glut and have sown six modules every couple of weeks to spread the harvest out.

This Sunday is a moon planting date for potatoes so our early “Mona Lisa”s will be planted out. They are looking very healthy after chitting for a few weeks in the shed.

After the potatoes the next to be planted out will be the peas. Though we will have to keep a sharp eye on the weather for frost and fleece them over if any is forecast.

Sometimes it Snows in April

Oh yes it does!

And a couple of hours and a few centimetres later…..