Doing it in the rain.

The weather here is still so mild and even though we have a steady drizzle, I've been out starting the first of the beds in the Potager. To the side of the house, between us and the neighbours, is a small piece of land that was gifted to the original owners of my house. I had confirmation last week that I may continue to use the plot. I have enough land, don't get me wrong, but it will be good to have a separate piece away from the livestock and the trees. It will have a completely different climate to the rest of the small holding and as it's been used as a potager before, I'm told the soil is great.
This is the image I have in my mind.

 This is the reality! I'm going to use the no-dig solution as I'm a good deal older than when I had my small veg plot at the ponies field in England. I wish I'd read about mulching back then, not just as a top dressing, but as a way to start plant beds from scratch without too much effort. I've laid down a layer of cardboard, straight onto the grass. Covered it with spoiled hay and then a layer of week old horse manure. It should all break down together, encouraging insects to do my work for me while at the same time minimising disruption to the soil structure. Lets see if it works. I've used the traditional method in the past and now I'm ready to try anything that cuts down effort while, hopefully, increasing the yield.  I'll make one bed a day and carry on adding to each as I clear out the pony paddocks.

 The second of my socks is coming along quickly now. I think I've actually got the hang of this :D  I'd like to try the magic loop method one day, but for now, I'm doing it old school.

This afternoon I'm treating myself to a pair of wellies. My old rigger boots are leaking like mad and while I don't mind a little drizzle, I can't stand wet feet! While we're out, we'll be buying the wood to board the loft. I'm so excited to see the house grow into it's new shape. Hopefully we'll be a lot closer to having our loft finished this week.

Edited to add:

I've also been planning Swales on our land. The article in this blog explains how the Swale can be used on a small scale. I'll give it a go in the garden before trying it in the field. I think it would be a great solution to our boggy fields in winter and dry pasture in summer. There are so many great gardening tips on this site, that I think I'll be dipping in to visit a lot. I found it on Pinterest.

Tenthacrefarm