What I need now, before I've planted a thing.....

...is another plot!

I'm so excited - I've been wracking my brains on how to squeeze all of the things I want to grow into the very limited amount of space I have on my plot. Not only that, but the soil wont be ready for any kind of root veg due to my use of raw manure earlier last year - a rookie mistake which I wont make again. I have learned about the use of green manures to treat soil, and have been reading and watching videos heavily on the organic/no-dig/Permaculture approaches to running smallholdings.

The no dig method seems to be the most logical and it's something I'll explore more in future posts, but either way I have very little room for manoeuvre with my 63msq plot.

So it must be fate or some kind of 'ting outta my control; I nipped to the site to check the weeds this weekend for the first time in weeks and bumped into the new site manager who was measuring up a plot just 8 metres above mine.

After quickly enquiring about the state of affairs, I learned that the owner had had enough and was downsizing by 66% and that the rest of her plot was up for grabs - literally one plot across from mine, what a result!

I quickly staked my claim and after much chatting and exchanging of details, I now await the paperwork for a 90msq plot which has been tended well for the past 15 years! It has some green clover and grass but nothing too heavy and compared to the traumas of clearing my last site it should be a breeze.

As you can see, some of it is already covered, and if I'm lucky, the 2 very large raised beds(which are full of beautiful soil) should come with it.

Front right view from the track;

and front left view from the track - you can see my existing plot on the right of the pic - it starts at the bright blue butt

I now have the room to start growing the more space hungry stuff, like courgettes, LOADS of salad, and artichokes, onions and leeks and even have room still for a greenhouse - in which I intend to grow as many tomatoes as the structure can hold !!

There are some permaculture ideas which I want to implement here, such as a frog pond (for slug control), wild flower areas (for attracting beneficial insects and birds) and the ability to rotate over a number of years.

This has been a great result and I'm eagerly awaiting the go ahead.

Timing, in all things bonsai particularly, but generally in horticulture I've found, is the key to success. My fortuitous timing over the weekend resulted in a big step forward for me and I'm bubbling with delight!

More soon 

Deano