We’ve had some lovely warm weather in December, after what has seemed like weeks of rain and clag, so Julie and I have taken the opportunity to get some work done in the garden while it’s been warm enough to get outdoors.
One of our Bulgarian neighbours came round and swapped my recipe for bread for a bundle of sticks. We weren’t sure what they were, but we think they might be blackcurrants. Anyway, we’ve stuck them in the ground and watered them. We’ll either end up with an impressive display of sticks, or loads of blackcurrant bushes. We’ll see in the spring!
While looking for a Christmas tree we found lots of grape vines for sale, so we bought ten and set to preparing new sites for our grapes. They are all eating varieties, so we should get a good crop in about two years when they can start producing fruit. Apparently you shouldn’t let them produce fruit until they’ve got a good root system established. We’ve double-dug two 15m trenches, incorporated loads of well-rotted manure, and mulched well with fresh sheep-bedding. We found some old concrete posts that will serve as a support for the trellis, which we intend to use to support the vines growing using the Guyot system.
We’ve now got another eight beds dug and mulched ready for next year, and a long bed for raspberries which will be ready to buy in the spring. The garden is really starting to take shape now!
Wow! What a fabulous plan for all that fruit. What a shame. I have loads of raspberries and strawberries you could have but not sure how to get them to you (I could drive it but not sure how long it would take?) Parcel post?
It takes about three days, or 36 hours continuous driving. See you in the New Year Sally? Plants are easy to get here, and they are very cheap, but thanks for the thought!
I can’t wait to see your garden in full bloom! It’s going to be marvelous!!