Getting Ready for the Gardening Course

July 17, 2026

Hello Everyone,

I am writing slightly earlier this week as Bob and I will be quite busy this weekend preparing for visitors.

On Sunday the first of this year’s Gardening Courses is happening. The first group will arrive with a good weather forecast for the day. There will be a meet and greet with morning drinks and croissants.

Bob will then do his thing, discussing the 14 different subjects which make up the course. All of this will be progressed alongside a tour of the farm. We will break for lunch at a convenient part of the course, after which Bob will go through the remaining part of the course, again with another look around and probably more good chat. The last courses we have had pass really quickly for us but really enjoyable meeting groups who want knowledge and also to pass on their own knowledge.

Always a good day. We have two more days…one in August, which is nearly full and another in September which we have just added. The information we provide is similar on each of these days. However, each month offers a different perspective as we are at different stages of the growing season. If you are interested in booking a place on the course or know someone who would appreciate the day all the information is on the website shop.

We have had another two visitors for a few days…the grandsons are now on the big summer school holidays so have been helping, I say that very loosely, on the farm. They have enjoyed being chief taster which is probably their favourite task. Grandson number 1 helped to take pics for social media posts while grandson number 2 placed the peppermint and kale bags into the boxes and then helped to fill the van up with the boxes to be delivered. Start them young we say!

Another visitor was our friend the Barn Owl. Just as it gets to dusk I can sit in the garden and if I am lucky this beauty will float through the air right above my head. There was one point where we actually had an eye to eye moment. Spectacular! The owl is definitely my favourite bird and possibly my favourite animal. They are a quiet, determined, elegant and beautiful creature. I try so so hard to take a photo but they creep up on you and I am desperate to see as much as I can and then they have flown past and I have missed that photo opportunity. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to watch.

As regards the farm, well we are still all go go go. The tomatoes and cucumbers need attention as they are growing at a rate of a mile a minute, they are like the Forth Bridge. But as we do tend the plants it is great to see (as well as taste) the fruit arrive. The tomatoes, although mainly green with the odd red or yellow fruit, are being productive. The cucumbers are hiding under the large leaves. One game I played with the boys was who can find the biggest cucumber? Fingers crossed you receive cucumber or gherkin in the Gardener’s Box next week coz we saw lots growing.

A plant we planted out last May, at the bottom of polytunnel eight, had been more or less forgotten about. But as the carrots have been harvested and sent to our lovely customers so the celery plant has arrived and been discovered. A small number of celery sticks will also be in the Gardener’s Box next week. There are also signs of aubergines and peppers. All to look forward to.