Double Digging

For the past month we have been double digging our produce garden. This time honoured technique of digging will provide us with an excellent topsoil, deep rooting zone and well drained vegetable beds. However, this method of cultivation should come with a health warning, it is back breaking work, especially when you have large boulders scattered just below the surface!

So, what is double digging and why are we taking on the challenge? 

This year, we have planned out 6 equally sized vegetable beds, 7 metres in length by 1.5 metres wide, this will give us just under 100sqm of planting area. The double digging process we have pursued is as follows:

- Mark out the vegetable bed; [1]
- With a spade cut the turf layer into small squares; [1]
- Remove approximately 500 cm width of turf layer and put to one side; [1]

- Dig out the soil to approximately two spade depths and also put to oneside (preferably on a tarpaulin), at the same time remove any large stones or boulders; [2]

- Loosen the soil at the bottom of the trench with a fork; [2]

- Scatter organic matter (manure) in the bottom of the trench to about one third of the depth; [3]

- Place cuttings of twigs and branches over the top of the manure; [4]

- Replace the turf dug out at the beginning, but upside down; [5]
- Place a covering of newspaper over the turf; and (finally) [6]
- Cover over with the soil you dug out. [6]

Quite a lengthy process, I think you would agree, but this will be worth the effort. Double digging loosens soil to a greater depth and therefore adds air deeper into the soil which enables roots to grow and the microbes to create good soil structure. This is key to creating the most productive vegetable bed.

Hopefully we will be able to reap the rewards later on in the year...watch this space.

Hard Labour

So, the first week in Sweden has been pretty energised. Apart from getting used to living in a completely different, even alien environment, we have kept ourselves busy by jumping head first into some essential manual labour. This comes part of the package when you live fairly remotely and have a bit of land to look after.

First job was to cut back and clear any debris, such as twigs, branches and trees from the electric fence that surrounds our property. Presently, this is used to stop unwanted creatures in, i.e. the wild boar! They have been burrowing in one of the fields, so keeping the fence live to prevent entry is key. This job gradually turned into a tree felling exercise, so brandishing a saw we started to remove some of the trees that were too close to the fence. Fun! We still have a way to go but the pile of logs is pretty big and should make for a good Easter bonfire celebration.

Second job was to start thinking about the Produce Garden. This is a key element of our self-sufficiency plans and we want to be ready to transplant the seeds and seedlings come the beginning of April. We agreed on a perfect location; slightly sloping ground facing south and within close distance from the house. We set out the beds in 7.5m x 1.5m bays and started to dig. The actual technical term is 'double digging' but we'll go into more detail on that in another post. Anyway, this turned out to be really hard work, as the top layer, just beneath the surface was littered with large stones and the odd boulder. We persevered and reached halfway along the bed. Unfortunately the weather turned for the worse, so we will be hitting it hard again this coming week when the freezing rain disappears.

All in all a good first week and the sign of times to come, my body has that satisfied achey feeling all over. Bring it on!

A Sentimental Note on Recycling

I am slowly but surely going through all the bits and pieces of my 7 years in London, bringing some kind of order to the flat ahead of my parents' arrival later this week. Finding these brought a wistful smile to my face.

A full pack as well! Soon to be found in a toilet roll near you. 

No, there was no ritual burning, just a little sad but relieved sigh as I dumped them into the recycling bin. Of course I feel the occasional twinge from missing my old colleagues. The smiles (or, to be fair, grunts) that greeted me in the morning. The casual chats over the years that gave me random glimpses into their lives and personalities. The little dramas shared.

I know that although many of these lovely people will fade away, some will continue to be around in the periphery of my new life. And that is all I can ask for, as I move to a very different phase.

On that uncharacteristically sentimental note... I will be popping outside for my daily three hour walk. Cheerio! :-)

Cloth Nappies aka Real Nappies

My baby's bum is bigger than yours

I don't pretend to be an eco warrior, but at some point during my pregnancy with Lil T, I became obsessed with cloth nappies or 'real nappies' as we, the converted, like to call them. I shared my thoughts on nappies with everyone around me and sought advice, but no one I knew had any experience with cloth. To be honest, most people looked at me as though I was slightly deranged and were convinced that I would fail in my cloth endeavour.

I researched all the different systems (prefold, all-in-one, pocket, fitted with wrap, etc.), the different fabrics (bamboo, cotton, synthetic) and all of the pros and cons of each. I just knew that cloth was going to be better for Lil T's bum, the environment and my purse. There were plenty of write-ups that calculated both the environmental and economic benefits, which gave me confidence in my choice. And it just made sense to use natural fabrics on a baby bottom – no surprise that I opted for a mixture of bamboo and cotton nappies.

When Lil T was born, she was tiny, for cloth nappies anyway, so I waited a couple of months until she had gained a bit of weight. I knew I couldn't wait much longer than that or I would never get started. Honestly, it was a bit daunting in the beginning, but now it has become second nature.

Yes, I have to do loads of laundry. Yes, I have to deal with dirty nappies. Yes, Lil T's bum is bigger than most of her contemporaries'.

But... There are no chemicals on Lil T's bum. Lil T has not suffered from nappy rash. We don't fill bins (and land fill) with nappies. We don't run out of nappies and have to run to the shop. We don't even use disposable wipes. (I made my own from old towels and they go in the washing machine with the nappies.)

Overall, I would recommend cloth to anyone! If you are interested and have any questions, let me know, because I would love for more people to get involved.

Nappy wash day in the Bishop household