New garden beds and strawberries

:: My garden diary ::

spring gardening

This past week in the garden we have been building a new garden bed. I've bought all my seeds now for this coming season and I have grand plans as you know, but we need more room! My strawberries are kind of taking over my vege garden now so I decided it was time to move them to a new home, under the fruit trees.

making new garden beds

We laid scrap paper and cardboard over the lawn and topped with compost and mulch. (Isla got sidetracked browsing women's clothing catalogues).

making new garden beds

We picked up a trailer load of mulch from a nearby stable, a lovely mixture of sawdust, hay and horse manure which has been just fantastic, we've covered most of the garden in it and will be going back for more.

mulching garden

We've also planted one lot of peas along the fence now, and will be planting more every few weeks, I'm hoping to be able to have enough to freeze some for later eating. The fruit trees, an apple and a nashi pear will be espaliered along the fence. My job for this coming week is to get some wires attached to the fence to shape my trees onto, and then these wires will be used also to support the peas.

planting strawberries

We will also be planting borage and nasturiums in this bed as companion plants, (borage for the strawberries, nasturtium for the trees) and I must collect some pine needles from the park next door to mulch around the strawberries, they seem to love them and apparently it improves their flavour.

watering the garden

3 comments

Lynnette said...

What a wonderful planting space. Take care with the borage. They self-seed heavily but boy do the bees love them!

Anonymous said...

How industrious you all are. That is a great place for all those types of plants. You are so organised wit your plants and timing etc. Should be fantastic. Love, GG ps. I have printed off the barrow picture to replace the hammering one,when he was 2 years old, on my office wall.

lieslmade said...

Good luck with the gardening season!