March 2002

March marked the start of great progress in the vegetable garden. Fencing began in earnest once the materials arrived. Marking out the design proved more problematic than we had expected....

But with the fencing complete we could commence the digging of the beds. The heavy clay soil made digging the beds strenuous work. Once dug and the soil improved, fruit bushes were planted. Autumn fruiting raspberries from the Wisbech auctions, summer fruiting raspberries and blackcurrants from a local nursery all settled in well to their new beds.

We had spells of unusually warm weather for March that made it great to be outside. A new shredder made light work of last months prunings. The resulting shreddings were put on the fruit beds as mulch. Sadly the dry weather slowed the final preparation of the six rotational beds. They were left rough dug whilst we were away for the last few days of the month. We hoped for rain to enable their final preparation but it did not materialise. Time was found to dig two new flower beds, but again their final preparation has been delayed by dry weather. Visits to nurseries provided us with plenty of plants to eventually put into our newly dug beds and of course seed sowing and potting up continued with great pace.

Progress on the adjacent land was also made. Norfolk County Council accepted our grant application for the wildflower meadow. We were then able to purchase the necessary seed for sowing when the conditions proved favourable. We have bought a perennial wildflower meadow mix from Emorsgate seeds, Norfolk. This will not flower this year but it should give a diverse mixture of flowers next year. Bob Lever gave us loads of advice on Norfolk varieties of apples and pears during a visit at the beginning of the month. We have now created a planting plan and are now attempting to source and gain quotes for the trees we want to plant this winter.