Daunting or exciting? That really depends on your outlook, your resolve and
your patience among other traits.
We leave behind a small rear garden at our bungalow in Portslade, East Sussex, along with a full plot at the local ‘Camp Site’ allotment where we practiced the ‘No Dig’ gardening method for the last three years.
We are going to, wait for it, 2.53 acres of land which is mainly made up of paddocks with walls and fencing surrounding it. You can see it below which is outlined in black.
And what are we going to do with all this land you may ask? We also asked ourselves that question and we have come up with some great ideas to turn it into a garden paradise within 5 years (hopefully).
We shall carry on with the ‘No Dig’ gardening method (you must try this) and shall expand our growing capacity which will include a meadow complete with bees, orchards with pears, apples, etc along with oodles of soft fruits such as blueberries, blackcurrants and so on.
Polytunnels, greenhouses, ponds, and storage areas with large composting facilities will also be part of the plan. Chickens will be our only livestock as we do not wish to be smallholders or farmers.
The rest we will use as gardens and woods to complete the transformation into an idyllic retreat with an emphasis on self-reliance. Not self-sufficiency you understand as that would be too difficult and unsustainable given the small amount of land.
To the left of us, we have Nanpean community school and to the right, we have St. George's chapel complete with graveyards (no, we are not squeamish). Caught between the new and the old which is what life is about and something you cannot get away from.