November - What we’re working on
In the veg patch
It’s been so wonderful to get hands in the garden, I’ve stolen little moments to get my hands in the mud around a few busy weeks. Finally we’ve begun to chop back some of the rambling courgettes, it’s so satisfying to hear the hollow crunch as it’s snipped. B loved smashing the last of the sad fruits into the soil… a site of mutual fulfilment there for sure!
This month we’re…
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Oh goodness it’s stinky stuff but we do enjoy scattering it about the beds. Our garlic, onions and shallots all had a little top up. The rhubarb had quite a generous top up thanks to B’s over-enthusiastic hands. Adding back some nutrients to the soil is an ongoing job for us, especially in the winter as the rains and frosts can strip the soil.
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It’s such a satisfying job to chop all the stems to the ground. We like to add to the layers rather than removing the spent plants. Plus it’s a pretty fun little job for little hands to do… think, smash-and-drop rather than chop…!
Our layering approach provides a much needed layer of protection for the winter, both for the beneficial beasties which live in the beds and for the soil. We’ll add some leaves to the top and then manure and cardboard in layers.
Our beds are slowly becoming more workable 3 years in because we’ve been adding layers of compost, carbon, nitrogen and all the goodies in between. A far cry from the heavy clods of clay we began with. -
I love willow.
I love the smell, the texture, the huge amount of versatile uses and everything it provides us with.
This season is about tucking back in the newly formed whips. The dome especially has a habit of ping-ing out each season so we need to spend the time gathering back in all of the whips from the top and reforming the roof.
The fedges (living hedges, a funny word but I’m told it’s the right thing to call them. Like a mix between fence+hedge=fedge) are also needing a little love to weave back in. We’ll take some of the larger pieces, chop and replant them into the spiral arch which didn’t take very well in the early spring. -
Buddleia
I’ve been looking at this sad little buddleia for 3 years, it’s never been top of the list to move… until now.
It’s been sat in a big planter, really struggling so now it’s tucked in the ground next to the welcome sign.
Over the summer months, anything in pots at Kith really struggle. We don’t have running water so only the essentials get a watering can . I’m hoping we can salvage what’s left of this buddleia and make all the bees and butterflies happy with it’s beautiful blooms in the summer. Keep your fingers crossed for it!
This is such a great season for moving things around, the ground is now soft enough to dig! Do you have anything you need to move?
