planting and the start of our wild garden.

Continuing with the preparation of the beds and planting of more vegetable seeds. Plus today we started the beginning of our wild area for insects.

The messy strawberry bed

We started off dealing with the raised trugs one had 4 strawberry plants and the second we grew leeks in over the winter but now had weeds.

The strawberry plants needed the dead leaves and stems removed, and weeding around them. Its also at this point that I check for any runners (runners are when the strawberry plant grows a long stem out from the main body of the plant and when this touches soil it then roots its self into the ground. this creates a second plant, a bit like baby plant)

One of the runners 

from my four plants, one of them had made 2 runners but these were right in the very corners of the beds so not much room for growth, so they will need moving to have more room. Then one other had made one nicely in the centre of the bed so luckily don't have to move this one. It's best to make sure that these have a good amount of leaves and roots growing. I test this by giving them a gentle tug if it moves it needs longer to grow more roots if firm hold then safe to cut it free from the main plant and dig it up. (This is not an exact science and some of the runners may die when separated from the main body. However, through the summer, they will produce lots of these runners so lots of opportunities to make more plants.)

The removed runner and its root ball

This is the runner above when I had dug it up. It had a good root ball with it so hoping it will do well in its new position. 

Once I had moved the two runners and removed all the dead leaves and stems I added a small amount of compost as we have a squirrel that loves to dig in our beds and flick the soil everywhere.

Cleaned up strawberry bed.

Our messy tire planters

Next was to prepare the tire planters ready for vegetables

Children clearing and digging the tires

Next was to prepare the tire planters ready for vegetables. Last year I had my tires on my car replaced by a guy who comes to your own house. I asked if I could keep my tires he had no problem as he said they would only go into landfill if I didn't take them. I stacked them two high and filled with soil and then compost on the very top. I have left them unpainted but you could paint them with bright colours or something to make them blend in more depending on the look you want to go for. I felt this was a better use than them going to landfill. I have more tires from my husband's car that I have some plans for this year but will come back to them another day.

 We needed to remove the leftover bits from last year's beans, dig it through and then top up with soil. These seemed to have lost a lot of soil but I'm not completely sure who did this dog, squirrel or children. However, whoever did it I'm sure enjoyed themselves. these are now fully prepared for planting.

Digging the channels

Sowing the seeds

We also planted our carrots, these were being sown straight into the ground.  These are going in two rows beside the garlic that are already growing in the large raised beds. 

The first step was to dig over the bed with a fork to loosen the soil. then make a channel in the soil about 1.5 to 2cm deep. An easy way for children to do this was to put the side of there trowel in the ground and tip from side to side this creates the channel and helps the sides to be firm so they won't fall in. If I ask mine to dig I'm going to have a large hole no matter how I ask for it to be dug.

Watering our carrots

Covering the seeds

Next was to sprinkle the seeds in the channel luckily my son took me a little too seriously when I said to spread them out, so we had them so spaced out that parts of the channel were left with no seeds at all. I have to say I would rather have this problem than too many in one spot, so much easier to add extra seeds. 

Once they were in we gently covered the seeds with soil from each side of the channel Then finished off with a generous watering. 

Don't forget to mark where you have planted your seeds so you don't accidentally dig them up.

The next job was our new wild garden full of bee-friendly plants.

In preparation for this last year I purchased a heather plant in the summer that was reduced because its flowers had died back for the year and looked like it was dying, this is a great way to get plants for your garden at a bargain. 

My husband digging the boarder

We started by digging the grass up, this will be used on a project later. (had to get my husband in on this one as he is the muscles in the family I directed at this point)

Once we had all the Grass off and some edging in. (while I know its plastic I have had it for a long time and would rather use than just put it into landfill.)

Teasing the roots

Infilling around the plant

Next was to add the heather I purchased last year (This plant is great for bees as is flowering this time of year which gives bees a source of food while there are not many flowers out for them.) I also added 3 lavender plants that I have had for a while in pots on my patio these are also popular with bees.

When planting from the pots, we removed from them from there pots then gently teased the roots, being careful not to break too many. Loosening the roots will make them more likely to grow out from the bundle they have made in their pot, in time this will make the plant stronger.
Next place the plant in a hole you have dug and gently fill in around the plant, using your hands to compress the soil until all the soil is level and the plant is secure in the ground.

The wildflower seeds

The seeds all mixed up

We then got our wildflower seeds ready to plant. Most of the packets of seeds we looked at have a marker on to tell you if they are bee-friendly. This made it easier to get the children involved in picking the flowers we would grow, as I told them to pick the flowers they liked the look of with the yellow bee symbol on. We emptied all the packets of seeds into a bowel to mix them up so we don't end up with all of one sort in the same place. (It may be obvious, but I don't trust my children not to just empty all of their seeds in one spot)

Watering the whole bed

My daughter sprinkling the seeds

My son by this point had given up helping and was distracted by a worm so My daughter and I sprinkled the seeds over the soil. Once they were sprinkled we racked the soil over so they were gently covered with soil. Then watered the whole area well.

Now it's just a waiting game to see what grows over the next few months, hopefully, the Bees will love them.

Our wild garden boarder 

Now to watch and see what happens as the plants grow in the meantime there will be lots of watering and weeding to do, but lots more garden projects on their way.

Good gardening everyone!