Garden Life
The Springs vege garden has experienced a lot of rain and periods of humidity, but mostly long, dry hot days this season.
These have all had differing effects on not only the plants, but the soil and insect life within the gardens ecosystem. Most plants have done exceptionally well, growing robust with much vigour. The soil, rich in organic matter and manures is a very dark colour and harbours millions of micro-organisms and earthworm populations (much to the delight of the surrounding black-bird families, which are my biggest opposition), helping to build humus which would naturally take hundreds of years.
The weather as well as the many varieties of herb and flower species that have been planted, has helped to increase the abundance of insect life including pests, predators and pollinators, which all contribute to the balance of life in the garden. All of our herbs and vegetables are heirloom varieties so some of the best produce is left to mature and go to seed for next spring, thus saving money and ensuring the best quality vegetables. Some of the plants are used for making liquid fertilisers and pest deterrents including but not restricted to comfrey, stinging nettles, chamomile, rhubarb, marigolds, garlic, basil and a few native plants. A lot of plants are also used as companions ensuring the best environment for each species.