Hello, today I'm starting the most important step in planning this year's garden.
I'm Liz Zorab and this is Byther Farm.
It's a cold and windy mid-January day, we've got a storm on the way. We have
storm warnings for the next couple of days, but the sun is shining today so I
popped out to the garden to start one of my favorite processes for the year
and that is starting to plan what I'll be planting where.
And although I don't
follow a strict rotation because so many of the plants are in the ground permanently
and also because I can put in two, three or four crops into each bed
throughout the growing year.
And this bed back in the spring had onions in it, that
I had planted from sets in the autumn (so November-ish last year) and I'd then put
in a few lettuces in the spring, so the lettuces have been and gone except for
these ones which have gone to seed but I am leaving some of them to go to seed to
collect the seeds from them.So there's a few who have gone to seed, so onions came out
and turnips went in, they came out carrots have gone in, they came out, next
lot of carrots have gone in and also some celeriac as well.
And I do want to
try and make sure that I'm not immediately putting brassicas where
brassicas have just come out, likewise with root veg. Beans, well quite
a lot of the beans stay where they are, so they are literally going to be where
they were last year because they'll be the same plant.
So I do have a vague
rotation, but it's not strict and I don't worry about it too much.
So while I'm out here reminding myself where everything grew this year, I'm
going to take the cover off this purple sprouting broccoli. It's ready to harvest
and the ducks can have the larger leaves, I'm hoping they won't take the florets,
they don't usually!
There we go!
So I start this planning process with some really intentional observations,
really careful looking and making notes of what's going on in each bed and how
things have grown this year.
I don't use a pen and paper for this process, I use
my phone and I record onto my phone. So I walk through the garden, dictating
notes effectively, onto my phone and then I can get inside listen back through to
that and it's got all the thoughts and all the comments that I have about each
bed and each part of the garden. And I find that much easier than walking
around with pen and paper trying to make notes and then not being able to read my
scribbly writing. I've got all my thoughts as I walk around.
So this bed
for example, was the one that had potatoes and peas in it and I know that
I've decided not to grow peas in between rows potatoes again. There's lots of peas
growing in this bed and I'm still picking fresh pea shoots from here.
It's also got some of the Greek Gigantes beans that have grown as perennials in it.
And this year I sowed a whole load of green manure in it. Well, that doesn't
seem to have appeared and what has appeared is loads of moss and that has
come from the grass clippings that I put on to cover the potatoes, so I need
to hoe that and I need to make notes that I need to hoe it to keep on top of
it and to get some mulch on it.
The ducks have come to see what I'm doing!
And I also make reminders myself for any structural changes I want to make in
the garden. Like I did when I removed the front half of this construction last week.
I might want to remove the back half and reorientate where the turkeys are
going to be to further over that way. It's a thought.
The other thing I can do while I'm out here is just remind myself of how many
rows of onions and shallots I put in here and I can see it's one, two, three,
four, five I'm seeing are six. I can see six, because I know that I want onions and I
want inter plant those with beans this year. So I've left a wide enough pathway here to
have a row of beans and I've basically left enough space between the rest of it
to have my boot each side of the onions.
A walk-around on a day (the turkeys make a noise) A walk around on
a day like today also gives me a chance to see what has survived the winter so far
and what's looking good and what needs some TLC.
Hello! Do you need some TLC?
Hello you, come and say hello. Hello Monty, there's a good chap.
So these beds have done okay,
the roses have done well - there's loads of stinging nettles and things in
here which I haven't noticed before now. You alright? There you go boy, there you go.
And it just gives me a chance to, kind of, have a proper look. In the early spring
it's all hands on deck, it's all sowing and planting and getting stuff into the ground really quickly.
Half an hour of observing now, and then again in a couple of weeks
time, will refresh my mind properly of how the garden is, what has come through
the winter and what hasn't. And I've just noticed some rhubarb, which I didn't
think was going to make it through the winter has, so that's great news!
(noises from the turkeys) Even the turkeys think so!
It gives me a chance to remind myself what is where in the flower beds.
And it almost gives me a chance to fall back in love with the
growing space that we have after a few weeks of being shut inside and not being
able to access this because it's just been so wet and cold.
And then it also
gives me a chance to remind myself if there are any gaps in any of the beds or
any trees that need replacing or adding to
And while I'm out here, one of the
things I get so much pleasure from is having a look for signs of spring and
for new growth and a reminder that it is the start of another growing year. (music)
And so wherever you are in the world and whatever you've got planned for this
week, I hope it's good one. And I also hope you'll join me again next time!