Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello. I've just come across The Grapevine, and I think it may be the answer to my prayers.

I am currently renovating a Victorian walled garden (about 1 acre), which involved cutting down 8 foot bracken in the summer, and now I am digging out all the roots. Once the garden is in a presentable state (i.e all dug and not so daunting!) I want to turn this into a community project, involving local schools, to teach them about organic gardening. There is no money to pay for anything, so seed swapping has to be the way forward. An acre is a lot of land to fill! I have loads of evening primrose seeds and also marigolds (Calendula) to offer. Can anyone help me out? I suppose what I really need are seeds (veg and flowers) which can be sown directly into the ground.

I look forward to being part of this community, and, next autumn, if all goes well, I'll have more to offer.

Hi Upwood,

Welcome to the 'Vine, it's great to have you on board! Your garden sounds lovley, but those bracken roots are going to be hard work. I'm sure there's loads of spare seed out there, I could send you some Welsh poppies and fox-and-cubs if you want. I think I have some Calendula saved as well if you like - lovely bright orange single flowers. I've got an old packet of wildlife mix too, 'though it's a bit old, but some of it is probably still viable.

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

Hello Birdie Wife,

Wow - that was a rapid response! I'd love some Welsh poppies and fox-and-cubs, but what can I send you in return?

Hello and welcome Upwood

I'm sure there are many of us with spare seeds for you - most of us are just plain nosey and some photos as you progress...before, during and after would be enough encouragement to post some seeds to you!!
What sort of plans do you have - raised beds-companion planting- wildlife habitats...???
Are you having to clear the whole lot or do you have a few fruit trees etc worth saving?

Hello Nicos,

Thanks for taking an interest. There are some old fruit trees, including a mulberry right in the middle. I want to preserve the original layout of paths, and plant veg and flowers in long meandering curves ... I can see it in my head, in all its floribund glory; the hard part is going to be the back-breaking digging! I will gladly post some photos, but you'll have to tell me how ...

Hi Upwood,
I'm pretty much sorted for next season, just glad to be able to help with your community garden. I'll take some evening primrose though, but only if you have more than you know what to do with! PM on it's way to you... if you look under where it says at the top of your screen "Welcome, Upwood!" there's a link to your private messages.

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

Thanks Birdie Wife,

I have sent you a PM.

Hello and welcome to the vine upwood. Sounds like a lovely project and I wish you well with it. I need to have a big seed sortout and will let you know what I have spare in a week or two.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Thank you Shirley for your warm welcome.

Hello Upward and welcome to the Vine. It is VERY addictive! but such a great place to learn and share and a real community in its own right. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as we do.

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~
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay Ash

Here are some photos, before the bracken was cleared (5 August), and after (30 September). I have now dug roughly a quarter of it (well, more like a fifth if I'm brutally honest with myself!). I've had to make the photos so small in order to comply with the size limit that it really wasn't worth the bother - sorry!

Attached Thumbnails

   

Do the bracken roots take a lot of digging out?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Yes! They go down about half a metre! Luckily it is very sandy soil, so comparatively easy to dig. Actually it is the nettles, which invaded the site as soon as I'd cleared the bracken, that are the toughest to remove - not deep, but very long and very strong.

Hi Upwood, welcome to the Vine - we're very friendly, some of us are quite knowledgeable, and between us we can help, advise, sympathise etc. Looks like you've got quite a job on your hands. Don't worry about the pictures, we can enlarge them a bit. Please keep us posted on how it goes. I've always loved the idea of a Walled Garden big enough to grow everything like the Victorians did, but don't have the money or the time (or the knowhow if I'm honest). Hope you can keep and renovate the fruit trees and work round them.

If you don't mind trading with the united states i have several victorian flower seeds to share for a few calendula's of yours,sweet williams,stocks,spicy scented sweet peas,nasturtuims,statice,babies breath,violas,panseys.... If interested we are a homeschooling family doing this to learn more about the world ,map ,and globe information.

Welcome to the Vine Upwood. Over the winter when gardening is difficult is the best time for seed swaps when people have time to think about it. Nettles are not a real problem. Cut them off at ground level a couple of times and they're gone. Or spray twice with weedkiller - same result. If you can, keep some in an undisturbed corner. Butterflies need them for breeding area and food. It's worth sacrificing a few square yards for the reward.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Hi Upwood and welcome to our little community. Love the sound of your project, and if I can help with seeds in any way I will. They will all be veg seeds as I started a small market garden in Feb this year and will be ordering next seasons seeds soon for delivery in February 2008. If you keep us up to date and let me know what you are looking for about mid Feb, I shall try and help best I can.
Good luck - walled garden - I am jealous - to say my 5 acre site is exposed is understatement of the year !!

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

[size="1"]Journal updated Tuesday 5th August

Hi Upwood, what a project, I do envie you as I have always fancied a walled garden. I will have a sort out and let you know what I have. I do have some Grannies Bonnets and Poppy seeds spare, will let you know soon on the rest.

Hi Upward, and welcome to the vine! Glad to have you onboard and cant wait to see photos as the project progresses. The best of luck with it

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Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance

Hi,
If you pm me your address i will send you an assortment of seeds as i have plenty here to spare
Well done for tackling such a project, can you get any help/ volenteers to give you some much needed help ??
Little by little you will restore it to its former glory

hello and welcome upwood , pm me your address and i'll see what i have spare in my veg seeds.

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---) CARL (----
ILFRACOMBE
NORTH DEVON

a seed planted today makes a meal tomorrow!

www.freewebs.com/carlseawolf

now in blog form ! UPDATED 01 / 04 / 08

Hello everybody,

I was out all day yesterday, and am amazed to find such a large number of friendly messages waiting for me! Thank you for your words of encouragement - I will certainly post photos as the project progresses. Thanks also for any offers of seeds - I will PM you.

Hey, there are also grants out from BBC and the Big Lottery Fund to do community gardens with some wildlife habitat - you can get up to £25 000.

BBC - Breathing Places

The forms to fill in are a bit daunting, but it should be worth it.
cheerio.

Thanks Ulla,

I'll certainly look into it.

Hi Upwood,
I try to swap a few fruit bush cuttings just before Christmas. If you have any old fruit bushes (and can send off a few 8" lenghts), contact me and I'll send a bundle of gooseberries and black, red and whitecurrants for swaps. Best to let me know the weekend before.