The recent Covid 19 virus events has changed some peoples lives forever already. For me being locked down in a boat yard could be extremely claustrophobic. The panic buying was a huge worry, as I live on a boat so a garden was out of the question. Luckily I was able to find a piece of ground, tucked away out of sight in the boatyard which I could cultivate. The area was extremely overgrown and had never been a formal space. The weeds and brambles were head height in places.
So I set about clearing the ground with an old pair of secateurs I found and a spade I borrowed. I began to think I'd bitten off more than I could chew, as the wall of brambles didn't seem to be getting any smaller.
I decided to do a 'no dig' vegetable patch on a minimal scale as I did not have all the resources available. Lockdown meant I couldn't buy anything I needed quickly. So straw, mulch, compost or anything similar was out of the question. Also, I was on a tiny budget as I wasn't working due to the recent Covid 19 Virus causing havoc with my business as a Nutritionist.
Boatyard friends Finn and Kerry came to the rescue, just as I was starting to flounder; they literally swept the weeds away with a dumper truck, which then allowed me to make very quick progress with the setting up.
The three us salvaged various abandoned and binned items from around the yard; including tyres, shelf units and draws, barrels, old dinghy, capping stones, buckets, wooden frames from boats. This gave us the initial bedding and shape of the vegetable patch. We laid an old tarpaulin down to hold back new weed growth whilst we planned our next step.
I was also able to collect manure from a neighbouring field, which was a absolute gem, as I didn't have any compost.
My gardening experience is very limited as I moved from a flat to a boat, so I have a vertical learning curve but lots of enthusiasm.
I will be documenting my journey with this wonderful space and sharing recipes and experiences. Finn and Kerry will be joining me, and their skills are going to be so valuable.
I hope it will inspire you to do the same thing, as I prove you can grow your own food and eat well with limited resources and a whole lot of enthusiasm.
Videos will be posted onto YouTube so you can follow this project and subscribe for regular updates.
#dig#free#garden#vegetables#boat#yard#ground#clear#manure#compost#no#minimal#garden#no#experience#
So I set about clearing the ground with an old pair of secateurs I found and a spade I borrowed. I began to think I'd bitten off more than I could chew, as the wall of brambles didn't seem to be getting any smaller.
I decided to do a 'no dig' vegetable patch on a minimal scale as I did not have all the resources available. Lockdown meant I couldn't buy anything I needed quickly. So straw, mulch, compost or anything similar was out of the question. Also, I was on a tiny budget as I wasn't working due to the recent Covid 19 Virus causing havoc with my business as a Nutritionist.
Boatyard friends Finn and Kerry came to the rescue, just as I was starting to flounder; they literally swept the weeds away with a dumper truck, which then allowed me to make very quick progress with the setting up.
The three us salvaged various abandoned and binned items from around the yard; including tyres, shelf units and draws, barrels, old dinghy, capping stones, buckets, wooden frames from boats. This gave us the initial bedding and shape of the vegetable patch. We laid an old tarpaulin down to hold back new weed growth whilst we planned our next step.
I was also able to collect manure from a neighbouring field, which was a absolute gem, as I didn't have any compost.
My gardening experience is very limited as I moved from a flat to a boat, so I have a vertical learning curve but lots of enthusiasm.
I will be documenting my journey with this wonderful space and sharing recipes and experiences. Finn and Kerry will be joining me, and their skills are going to be so valuable.
I hope it will inspire you to do the same thing, as I prove you can grow your own food and eat well with limited resources and a whole lot of enthusiasm.
Videos will be posted onto YouTube so you can follow this project and subscribe for regular updates.
#dig#free#garden#vegetables#boat#yard#ground#clear#manure#compost#no#minimal#garden#no#experience#