Whacky experiments and DIY

I love to have a project on the go. As we try to be as self sufficient as possible, we have chickens and bees as well as vegetables and fruit. They all exist quite happily alongside one another and I have fenced off my vegetable garden to stop the marauding chickens ransacking everything during the summer (they are permitted to enter and clear up the leftovers in the winter and they have free run of the rest of our 1-acre garden all year during the day). They have a safe (hopefully) fox-proof run where I can close them in at night. This is still large enough for them to have plenty of space to scratch around on the rare occasions that I need to keep them in during the day (for example, when there is a delivery van or lorry coming, as our chooks are too inquisitive for their own good). Also in their run is the compost heap which they love to pick through. This is good for me as they help with the turning of the vegetation, necessary to speed up the composting process.

Having a handy husband is also a bonus in the garden. I dream up ideas and sketch them out (sadly, not on the back of a cigarette packet – we’re all non-smokers in our house). A brief explanation and discussion over a cup of coffee usually culminates in a flurry of drilling, sawing, hammering, a few swear words (as we don’t smoke, we have to have some opportunity for stress relief), and Hey Presto ! The finished product. The chickens have moved house twice and had three extensions built (they are now considering submitting plans for a sun lounge on the side of their house !). The bees have had hive stands around the garden, but now have their own safely enclosed and sheltered apiary.

I like to carry out the occasional experiment in my garden. Last year for example, I was making raised beds and I decided to fill it with weeds rather than soil, thus creating a compost heap base which would be bursting with nutrients for the new vegetable crops. In order to stop the weeds coming back to life, I covered them with a very thick layer of newspapers – it is necessary to use whole newspapers to block out the light, not just a few sheets. I then covered the whole lot with 10cm deep compost, left it to break down over the winter, and planted my onions in it this spring. Keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t be the only sane gardener in the world with my own specially cultivated weed bed, I am delighted to announce that it has worked and my onions are thriving and having a lovely time. This has turned out to be a labour saving idea as I didn’t have to turn the compost to help it break down, and I didn’t have to move it from one place to another. So, do try this at home and remember, you read it here first.