No Dig Gardening, books and Winter Colour

The light at this time of year is really beautiful, the colours have a real vibrancy.

As well as the autumnal colours and foliage, I'm cheered to see a few flowers adding their brightness too.

With the days shortening and nights getting longer I've been catching up on some reading and finally got myself a copy of Charles Dowding's 'Organic Gardening: The Natural No Dig Way'.

I highly recommend it - I haven't quite finished it yet, but I love the idea of leaving the soil structure as intact as possible and minimizing disturbance.

I had already come across the idea of 'no dig' gardening in permaculture literature and I'm enjoying looking into it further and using it, hopefully exclusively, on my plot.

I already learnt this year how silly it is to weed and leave bare soil (and what a waste of resources / nutrients that can be) as nature is very quick to recover it. From now on I'm a complete mulch convert.

I tend to grow my plants in modules anyway and that suits a mulch system, as the plants have germinated and strengthened before being transplanted through the mulch.

I love what Charles says about how healthy plants generally suffer less from pests and diseases.

I also love his ideas for successional sowing - similar to Joy Larkcom - she has great ideas for creative vegetable gardening too.

There are a few things in Charle's book that I've had different experiences with e.g. rocket - luckily nobody told me not to sow it until after midsummer, so last year I had a great crop all summer - with no problems from flea beetle. Maybe the leaves did bolt slightly early - the the flowers are so pretty that I don't mind much.

Another great book that I got to read recently was Masanobu Fukuoka's 'The One-Straw Revolution' which looks at one mans journey of discovering natural farming techniques in Japan. It has a great feel to it - feels very wholesome to me.

So, thats my inspiration sorted for a while. Now all I need is my garden. It is challenging being over two hours away from 'my' garden, although I am lucky to have my aunts garden here, which is very natural and lush, and a few pots of things to keep my green fingers happy.

I must admit to getting itchy fingers and also longing to have my garden properly up and running. I want to see the seasons go by on my own plot, watching the successions of planting and harvests etc Patience must be a virtue I'm still cultivating!

Anyway, there is distraction here, for example a few experimental winter salads in pots in my aunts barn. They won't feed an army, but I like to see things grow .. and to see how much they WILL grow over winter.

Here are some late sown lettuces (sown end Sept / early Oct) which are coming along just fine.

My calendula was still blooming earlier this week (although now sulking after a couple of nights of hard frost).

I love these violas, which have self seeded in cracks at the edge of the bed near the front door.

Surprisingly, the tall shrubby Escallonia is still happily flowering away and has been for months now.

Of course, there are still a few roses too. They don't have much scent when picked, but when I dry the petals on the radiator the room is filled with a delicious lingering scent.

My aunt's ornamental pyracantha also gives great colour this time of year.

I love how it has crept over the wall, so we can see it from the house now.

The girls are doing fine also - and add bucket loads to winter cheer.

Here's Benny, patrolling the drive.

Here Anna and Esmie are having a great time rummaging through the leaves and undergrowth.

Here they are again, setting off from the doorstep out into a hard frosty morning.

Wonder if the frost will turn to snow soon?

It's trying to snow as I type.

Until next time ...

A quiet week

(Picture: Sun coming up in the morning)

We're just briefly back up north - and in computer land - for a day for so. We've been down on site for the week and it's great to be back with the cats - I do miss them when we're away (but we'll have them down with us by the end of the month if all goes well).

When I'm down on site what I REALLY MISS having web access. I can check emails in the library - but can't upload .. so the pictures of the shell going up may be delayed. (I've tried to sign up for mobile broadband but they won't accept my northern Ireland address .. they need utility bills from southern Ireland .. and I can't get them until the house is up - catch 22. Mind you - I have a cunning plan, fingers crossed).

Anyway, it was a quiet week on site (with no house going up). Even the groundworks crew never made it to dig ditches and sort the sewage. We had a very cold start to the week down there and it was a great relief when it turned milder midweek.

I still love it down there and the stream is as magical as ever.



We also have frogs and spawn in the 'pond' ( the test pit they dug before we bought the land).

As there was little to 'do' on site (can't fence yet until our other boundary goes back on Monday) we thought we'd go out and have some fun. So, we went to see some breeders of ornamnetal ducks - as I fancy a few ducks - they're great for slug control, lay nice big eggs, are friendly and look sweet pottering about.

Our favourites were the Cayuga - a black duck which shine with green irridescence in the sunlight. They lay well, are fairly quiet and docile.
The most common 'layer' seems to be the khaki Campbell ( see below)- they didn't have any of those for us to see .. as they keep mainly ornamentals. I've just read that the Campbell integrates very well with chickens (they just need shallow water), so who knows which sort we'll choose in the end. Time now to make some pens and hen houses methinks.

I'd love to get the ducks soon - to prepare the polytunnel area. Mind you I may be moving the tunnel - as the area I'd planned for it has been levelled with clay and so now is a quagmire fit for the finest Glastonburyesque festival antics. Wellies to the ready!
I think I might re-plan and site it on some untouched ground further down the site (rather than risk it blowing away in the first wind or losing stability in the clay). Funny what you don't think of earlier!

We also managed to get out and about in the evenings (making the most of our time before we are up to our necks in plasterboards and stud walls). Thanks to all who made us welcome at the sessions in Drumshanbo.

Back here, I'll admit that I did sow some aquadulce broad beans a week ago and although there are no sprouts up I did see some roots popping out of the bottom of the rootratiners already. I'll refrain from further sowing until our overiszed cold frame (i.e. the house shell) is up next week.

I'm trying not to go into countdown mode or get too excited about the shell coming, just in case there are anymore delays, but fingers crossed we'll be all systems go next Tuesday morning. Pictures will be taken and posted as soon as I can upload them.