Natural Farming ....next project?

23rd September

I've seen some very beautiful and productive allotments this year, but the one I visited in Wells this week was possibly the best...incredible views of the Cathedral towering above the rows of beans.  A gardener there was picking much the same (now slightly past their best) courgettes, French, and Runner beans as I am here. We all reach the same stage at this time of year however good the views!

Intriguing to read about Masanobu Fukuoka's 'The One-Straw Revolution' in Jonathan Self's Country Life column last week.  I had heard about Fukuoka's 'Natural Farming' ideas earlier this year from Anand  (my Indian gardening contact).   He's trying them out on the estate in Southern India where he works. He doesn't weed and he doesn't till.  It's obviously working as he produces all the vegetables needed to feed the guests in the estate restaurant. I wonder how easy it would be to carry out in a garden? The book is on order...next year's project perhaps?

A couple of useful Flower hours on Wednesday morning gave me  time to sow some cornflower seed.  I usually get them started in spring but as there was half a packet of seed left it seemed worth trying at this time of year too.  Friday and Saturday are Leaf days (the last ones before October) so I'll get another batch of lettuce seed in this weekend before it's too late.

Still plenty of bees in the garden.  I'd ear-marked this weekend for dead-heading all the lavender but as they're busy around the last remaining flowers I'll put it off for a bit longer.  Borage is also a big favourite. By this time next week the Sedum should be smothered in them too.