Comparing the past - January

Comparing the past - January

January 2013

January 2014

January 2013 was a blank canvas.


January 2014 was a busy time, the old chicken house we inherited from the previous owner, was a caravan with a fence around it and a shed or two attached. Along with other rubbish it was all removed, burnt or taken away. The area is now a large vegetable patch of around 15 ft wide by possibly 30 ft long. The old chicken area was on top of a rubbish pit, all sorts of rubbish was dug up, and a pond needed filling in. After digging it all over and removing a lot of nettles up to 4 feet deep of manure has been applied to this area. It has been going on from May. Potatoes and other veg were grown on this patch and when they all finished more manure has been added so it can rot down and become a raised bed.

During late winter we also added another dozen fruit trees and a load of willow (which are hard to see on these photos) as well as a new Raspberry bed along the main path going to the chickens. The chickens have also been given a new home. 

Another big difference between the two January's are extra beds just below the fire. Also the fire area has been seeded with random flowers and bulbs.

The rough grass has been kept longer this year as it is an excellent habitat for frogs, toads and newts, all which have been very numerous this year and between them totalling hundreds.

January 2015

Out of shot on the left, the original vegetable beds have been extended by another 15 ft.

Since May, over 30 tonnes of horse manure has been added to the field, mainly veg beds and around trees although most of it has just vanished and you'd never guess that much had been added.