Sowing Seed Trays in January
Nothing here requires a rain barrel, though it does make things easier. I like raised beds that shows the marks of how it was made. Half of the work is deciding what to leave out. The particulars matter less than the habit of paying attention.
Before and after
Some of this will be obvious; some of it took me years. Compost is slow magic, and it cannot be rushed. Most problems with herbs turn out to be problems with time. Most problems with fruit trees turn out to be problems with time.
If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about seed trays. A secateurs helps, but it is not the point. The soil is stronger every year, largely because I stopped digging it.
The short version
A cold frame extends the season by weeks at either end. Between composting and sowing seeds, the second one taught me more. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. Saving seed means next year’s garden starts this autumn.
Nothing here requires a hand trowel, though it does make things easier. I wrote most of this on a calm Tuesday morning. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about fruit trees.
Below are a few observations, roughly in the order I worked out them. Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. I like mulch that shows the marks of how it was made. The slugs got most of the lettuce, but the beans did well. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed.
I would rather do one thing carefully than five things in a hurry. I keep a short list of things to try next; composting is near the top.
fruit trees