Project Secret Garden

Earlier this year, I started a little project in my garden, it was a secret, a secret garden.

This was largely because it isn't actually in my garden, I have kinda borrowed some land at the back of my house.

I live in one of those suburban areas where there are garages at the bottom of our gardens and a drive way at the back of all the houses in my bit of the road.

I am at the very end of that drive way so the road stops by the end of my garage where I don't have a garage any more. I just have a gate leading to the drive way.

When I started this project the driveway at the back of the houses looked like this,

I decided that as no one was using the driveway, and as it was waist high with weeds I would use the bit up to the next garage as a veg patch. This was in May.

So I cleared my patch. It was really hard work, and quite scratchy as there were lots of thistles.

 So I enlisted some help.

She didn't last long.

Then I planted some things

I brought some runner bean and celery seedlings, and planted seeds to grow, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower, swede and garlic. The white looking bits and bods you can see scattered over the soil is orange peel to discourage cats from pooing in my fresh soil. That seemed to work.

Slowly things started to grow, my seeds became seedlings.

My seedlings became plants.

I grew a sunflower in there , to keep an eye on all the plants as they grew.

And now my family and I are reaping the benefits.

I am harvesting my broccoli, runner beans, garlic and swede, and getting dirty feet in the process (must remember to put welly's on).

My cauliflower is nearly ready and I am hoping my sprouts will be ready for Christmas.

It has been hard work and I am constantly battling with weeds but the sense of satisfaction of growing something from a tiny seed to a fully grown vegetable is ridiculous. I know now, what my parents were going on about and it encourages my children to eat more vegetables, (they weren't too bad at this anyway).

There have been some fails, I grew aubergine plants and planted them out, one tiny but perfectly formed aubergine grew, I left it out there to grow a bit more, but a slug found it and made a home in it. So much for that.

A friend of mine, said that I have become a guerilla gardener, I am not sure about that, all I did was find a tiny bit of land that was adjacent to my garden, I got rid of the weeds, and grew some vegetables.

I would definitely recommend this, but you should probably do it in your own garden or in an allotment, because I do run the risk of my local council putting a stop to it. Having said that they would have to get past all the weeds in front of the other garages before mine.

And, as an added bonus, it is quite physical so I feel like I am getting a bit of exercise.

I post regularly on my progress on Instagram, and you can find that through the links at the top of the page.

I am currently thinking about what to plant next,  probably potatoes, carrots and onions, to go in over the winter, if you have any suggestions or advice please let me know as this has been one massive learning experience.