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New shed on order and a start with plants

We have ordered a new shed for the garden. It is a big one, 18 x 10 but it will stand us in good stead for everything from a wood store to a potting shed and more. Today I have laso potted up some new strawberries and started chitting the new potatoes. Now if only we had some better weather.

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The Hanging gardens of Cinderford

Gardening in the Forest of Dean Well, not yet but hopefully by the summer Garden Progress so far We moved into this little cottage in July last year. As you can see from the picture a good third of the garden was down to a lawn. As we are retired that was the last thing we wanted. We have dug …

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I’m a contented man

Well, it has been an up and down year but I have to say I’m a happy and contented man. Last year we sold our house in Gloucester and bought a smashing little cottage in Cinderford in the Royal Forest of Dean. I sold my business – Softdata Internet and retired This has given me 2 things I have wanted …

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Christmas sprouts from the garden

Sprouts for Christmas Dinner For the first time in years I have been able to pick sprouts straight from the garden for our Christmas dinner. There isn’t much left this year but we have plenty of sprouts, leeks and cabages all ready for eating.

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Videos

I should have the firewire card fitted to my pc this week. I have some fantastic videos that have never been published as for the last 6 months, I have been unable to get them onto my pc so it will be a great relief to be able to get at them again. In addition I’ll be able to start …

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Testing compost activator

Trying out compost activator in my bins As this is a brand new garden, compost is particularly important. I am using 2 slatted wooden bins to create and store the compost. Today I have turned the heap from 1 bin to another and every layer was sprinkled with the compost activator from Soilfixer. It will be interesting to see how …

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First year in retirement in the Forest of Dean

Well, today marks a full 12 months since I retired. It has been very eventful. We have sold our house in Churchdown, bought this little cottage in the Royal Forest of Dean, installed a wood burning stove and created a brand new garden. Cinderford has turned out to be a delightful little town full of small local business with lots …

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Compost in the vegetable garden

Treating the soil in a new garden I have created a double bin for the garden compost to make it easier to turn. I can turn the old one into the empty bin before creating the new compost heap. Regular visitors will know that we only moved here in June, so everything was late and done in a hurry so …

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Planning for the spring garden

We have done pretty well this year all things considered but I’m determined that next year will be even better. This weekend I’ll be turning the compost heap and getting ready to fork over the beds and enrich them with the compost and some local rotted horse manure. Our deep beds will all have sweet peas growing on the sides …

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Enjoying local produce

Over the weekend we had some wonderful local food. Friday night we had a T bone steak from our local butcher with potatoes and beans from the garden. Naturally as always a bottle of wine was enjoyed with it. On Saturday the lovely Vanda cooed a Mousaka using aubergines and tomatoes from the garden and minced lamb, again from our …