Rod Collins

How to Prepare Your Kitchen Garden for Spring
We’re under starters orders here for year II of the Goldeneye River Cottage

This afternoon saw your host taking advantage of a respite in the rain and preparing my veg plot for the new growing year.

Last year was a greater success than I could have hoped and something that gave me more pleasure and satisfaction than I could have imagined so this year I intend to expand a little.
I am increasing my plot size by about 50% thanks largely to two raised beds and some unutilized space around them.

Last year’s experiment was fuelled largely by ignorance so this year one or two things will be different, namely what I plant and where.
The basic principal will remain though …
100% organic - no fertilizer and weed-pest killers

The first stage is more or less complete as of today.
All the old vegetable plants have been removed, bar my parsnips which are still growing, and some initial weeding has begun.

I have also started clearing two disused ponds which will form the raised beds and allow me considerable expansion.
I had expected to be doing this nearer springtime but on the advice of my brother have started early.
This is due largely to the fact that I shall be planting shortly !
Again another surprise to me but I expect onions and shallots to be going in before the end of the week.

A further addition will be a superb new solid oak cold-frame which will allow me to bring plants on a little earlier than I otherwise might.
It also frees my brothers greenhouse up which no doubt he’ll appreciate.
Whilst looking at the new batches of seeds in the shops I also had the idea of using the cold frame when the weather gets better and it’s no longer needed for growing mushrooms - quite an exciting venture in my little world

Anyway, I’ll bore you no further and draw this to a close. I was hesitant last year to keep writing about the kitchen garden experiment but readers seemed keen to be kept abreast - if that remains the case this year then I’ll periodically post how things are progressing.

If you are considering having a go yourself I really do recommend it. It need not be on a large scale, possibly even a couple of tubs or containers

Thanks those who helped and inspired me last year, without you I would not have started it - consequently missing out on a great deal as a result - many thanks !

All the best
Green-Fingered Rod

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Beetroot
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Update
The Beginning