"I'm six months pregnant and horribly overwhelmed, so I've enlisted the help of a local gardener to tackle the more pernicious intruders (such as green alkanet, which leaves my ankles feeling bitten whenever I hang out the washing, and some of the many robinia saplings that have appeared from the neighbour's great big, beautiful tree) while leaving the good stuff behind. Then, in the patches that open up, I'll be sowing green manure."
"Green manure are superheroes when it comes to improving soil health My beloved column companion Claire has addressed the matter of green manure in these pages before, because they play an important part in the broader crop rotation of a working edibles plot. But the only thing I'm eating from the garden at the moment is a scrumped apple or two and some woody herbs. My ambitions for the garden are simple and steady and improving the soil is top of the list."
The garden is messy, with litter and self-seeded plants appearing after neglect. A sunflower self-started in the back corner. The owner is six months pregnant and overwhelmed, so a local gardener was hired to remove pernicious intruders such as green alkanet and numerous robinia saplings while preserving desirable plants. Cleared patches will be sown with green manure to improve soil health. Green manure suppresses weeds, attracts pollinators, provides shelter for pest-eating creatures, and fixes and holds nitrogen in the soil. Current edible harvests are limited to a few apples and woody herbs; fencing and roof work are being addressed.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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