No Dig Garden Diaries at De Tout Coeur Limousin

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No Dig Garden Diaries at De Tout Coeur Limousin 

This year our little vegetable patch here at De Tout Coeur Limousin has been extended. Inspired by the No Dig gardening method of Charles Dowding. 

In preparation we have been busy planting seeds, composting, cutting grass, clearing brambles and collecting many, many cardboard boxes from our local shopkeepers to prepare the ground for planting. The cardboard is a great starting layer that you place on top of un-dug garden. The theory being that unnecessary digging rids the soil of it's nutrients. 

It's also a really quick way of setting up a vegetable garden - no need for double digging and backbreaking weeding. Just top with cardboard and other yummy compostable goodies to add the nutrition your plants will need and away you go. 

So far we have planted tomatoes (cherry and roma olivette), turnip greens, runner beans, romanesco cauliflower, pointed cabbages, and a few of last years spring greens too. 

The courgette seedlings went in a couple of weeks of go and have taken off brilliantly. They are in a perfect spot of full sun for a lot of the day. Fingers crossed for a bumper crop. 

The cabbages are growing well, but have a rather hungry white butterfly feeding on it regularly. Not wanting to spray the cabbages with chemicals, and after bit of research into companion planting I have decided to plant garlic and thyme near by in an attempt to deter the pest, beautiful though she may be. 

in my garden diary this week: 

• Keep collecting plastic bottles for the plastic bottle greenhouse project
• Plant out the potimarron seedlings
• Keep an eye of the cabbage and cauliflower for signs of pests

Follow us as our garden grows. Please do join in the conversation too and let us know about your gardening diaries. Any tips and ideas greatly received too.

Happy gardening.

Eric le chien keeping guard of the vegetable garden

turnip greens, tomatoes, romanesco cauliflower, courgettes and the last of the spring greens

Potimarron seedlings

the first courgette flower

sweet williams in the garden at De Tout Coeur Limousin

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