To conclude our Open Garden series for this season, everybody was invited to visit Nadine’s town garden, where you could ask questions and pick up new ideas from experienced food growers.
With autumn under way, you also had the chance to learn how to prepare your garden for winter.
Date/time: Saturday 16 October, 12–3pm. Note: earlier time slot than usual!
Address: Church Street, St Albans (very close to the top end of St Peters Street)
What’s in it? A big long garden with apple, pear and plum trees, hens, an extensive herb garden at the front, a willow arch, a proper pond and a ‘bucket pond’, a vegetable garden, 2 compost bins and a walk-in plastic greenhouse.
Fruit-wise: 1 espalier apple and 1 espalier plum, an apple tree (which grows 3 different kinds of apples), a minarette plum, 2 blueberry bushes, strawberries, 2 blackcurrants and a kiwi (which still hasn’t grown anything).
Vegetable-wise: Leeks, broad beans, sorrel, over-wintering onions, chard and spinach, lambs lettuce and winter salads. There are 3 raised beds and the rest is grown at ground level.
Herb-wise: Rosemary, thymes, chives, southernwort, good king henry, lady’s mantle, house leek, fennel, sheep sorrel, soapwort, peppermints, bay, elecampane, marjoram and oregano, lavender, lemon balm, sweet woodruff, marigold (calendula), st john’s wort, hyssop, winter savoury, feverfew, sweet cicely, evening primrose, horse radish, comfrey, sage and borage.
Hen-wise: You may have met Rosie and Lizzie who are a cross between a Sussex Light and a Rhode Island Red. They’re very friendly and don’t mind you picking them up if you want to.
