Ann's Farm Journal

Keep up with all of our updates from the farm including what’s new in season!

Two Gardens to Manage

Two Gardens to Manage

Hello Everyone,

We are now into the Autumn season and it really does feel like a change in the atmosphere. The mornings are fresher and it is dark before eight at night time. We now have to take full advantage of the daylight. The day time has been very wet this last week. So, any daylight and dry weather allowed outside work. However, we have had many days of mist, dampness and rain. Waterproofs at the ready and also inside work within the tunnels could be completed. 

The tomatoes have still needed attention and some beds have been cleared ready to be filled with overwintering crops. 

The new walled garden also had some attention during last week. All the trees we have planted around the walls of the garden have now been pruned and tied to the wires which have been secured to the walls. We are very happy with the early growth of the trees. The trees are Cordons which means they grow like a stem along the wall, with lots of ‘spurs’ which is where the fruit grows. Spurs are simply small branches which grow from the main stem. This first year of the trees had, any fruit growing, removed. This ensures that all the energy within the tree would concentrate on the root system. We would like the trees to outlast Bob and I till many years in the future.

As you can see from the picture above, the trees are neat and simple. It will be amazing how much fruit will be growing along the spurs next year (fingers crossed). 

So, you can see that we are working both gardens in parallel. Where work crops up is where we attend. This is how the process of work will be in the future months. We will move between the farm and the new walled garden.

This last week we have also been grandparents to the boys, who have been returning to school and nursery. Also our granddaughter, who is just one, from Amsterdam has been visiting…she did bring her parents. All three grandchildren have ran around the farm and enjoyed eating fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and leaves in the tunnels. They are all our poster guys for the farm. They love having access to foods and digging. It is so very healthy for the tummy and the mind to be able to eat such fresh foods and to get their hands dirty moving the ground from A to B then back to A again!

As we have guests I am off to play with our grandchildren in the tunnels,

Take care,

Ann👩🏻‍🌾