Introducing No 53

We very quickly realised that, if we were going to be serious fruit growers as well as veg growers, we were going to need more space - or an orchard as Nick likes to call it. When Frank said he was giving up one of his plots, our faces beamed. After two sleepless nights we bit the bullet and agreed to take on No 53 as well as 51 and 52. Mad or what!

This is it.
Admittedly, there is the odd weed or two but it has great potential. There is a framework of paths and now that we cleared the rubbish, have raked the dead stuff and had a bonfire, I think you will agree it is looking managable. Frank was not the tidiest of gardeners, and obviously did not believe in weeding, among the general detritis was a good selection of flower pots, bits of wood, bags of rotted, slimy leaves, and one bed with fitted path to path carpet (upside down and of various colours and types - more of a patchwork really). We have left that there as a weed suppresant but not sure what might be living under it. A sign that the soil is good is the magnificent nettle bed which unfortunately must go. The strimmer needs to come into its own to reduce the weeds, there will then be some sort of membrane to supress the weeds and then a covering of bark chippings. Remember them, well big excitement yesterday when we arrived to find a new hugh heap had been deposited, can't wait to get stuck in. Looking at the old heap, it is rotting well at the bottom so a layer of that may be going on the bean bed, it well supress any weeds and will be ready to dig in when the beans are finished in the Autumn.

Getting back to No 53, we have until Autumn to prepare and plan ready for the soft fruit to be moved across and a decision as to what else we should grow. Requests in writing please.

Here is the view from the other end - now that I think of it, it is horrible no matter which angle you look at it, but a challenge.