Just saying Hello.

[RedSkyOrganics]

Hello Charles and The Wonderful Green Thumbed Folk Here…

I hope this is OK to introduce myself.

My name is David Trees. I’m an Aussie living in Manchester, for now. We’ve been in the UK for 17+ years. Two of our sons were Brits before they were Aussies… legally anyway.

We are selling our home at the moment and we will return to Australia some time this year.

That being said, I want to learn / re-learn as much as I can so when we return we can become completely self sufficient from our garden produce within 5 years. Maybe some chooks too for eggs and meat. I’m trying to work out the best way forward in this respect as we will need to rent for the first 6 months.

Before we moved here in 1996, we had established a highly productive “No Dig” garden in Queensland where we lived at the time. It was amazing the difference between other methods and this No Dig one.

I’ve also spent quite a bit of time this past weekend gleaning from the website Mr Charles. Love it! Chapter 12 is cool.

I was hoping to be able to attend the course on market gardening but alas, they all seem full for now. If someone drops out I would like to know.

Am I right to think that you sell your excess produce Charles? Hence the use of the term – Market Gardening.

I am also very keen to learn about Espalier for fruit trees.

Thanks for having me. I look forward to a continuous learning experience here.

All the best to one and all.

[charles]

 Nice message thanks David.

Sorry the course is full, next m.g. one in autumn as I need to get busy – yes i sell, mainly salad, the tunnel and greenhouse have yielded over £500 already this year, from many hours of picking and bagging. Unusual for midwinter.

Good luck with the move when it happens, you will be going from deluge to drought.

[RedSkyOrganics]

Thanks Charles. Yes. So it would seem…except that we’ve just had a bit of snow. So that’s a tiny respite from the constant rain of this year so far. We should be here for a couple of months still. As I mentioned… If someone can’t make it I would be open to attending. Somerset is not that far for me in Manchester. 5 hours is a just down the road right? Good thing is it’s all down hill on the way to your place.

[Rhys]

I used to live in Manchester and travelled around the country a lot on business, including the M56/M6/M5 corridor more times than I care to remember.

You’ll get down to level with Bristol area on the M5 from Manchester in 3 – 3.5hrs outside rush hour and excluding major road works, once you’re on the M56, if you go a steady 65 – 70mph.

How long from there to Charles’ place I don’t know, but unlikely to be more than 30 mins from an M5 junction.

[RedSkyOrganics]

The 29th of March weekend class. We are heading back to Australia before the summer so I’m kind of hoping that either a spot is created…wink wink… Or a spot opens up. I would really enjoy the course before leaving these wet and windy shores, which have been a home for us for just under half my working life. Also, as it’s not only about gardening… I find I’m the sort of bloke who needs to see things and read them to learn more effectively.

Thanks for info RTF. We’re in Ashton u Lyne which is not far from the M56 as you rightly say.

Cheers David.

[Bobbie]

Thanks very much for an excellent course on Sunday your approach is very refreshing and really encourages experimentation. I look forward to putting it into practice when it finally stops raining!
Meant to say that I have had great success with station sowing parsnips. My first efforts of growing in rows caused a lengthy game of hunt the parsnip, since at the time I had no idea what a parsnip seedling looked like I had to find someone who did to hunt with me, weeds were also more abundant as the plot we took over had been neglected.
Am looking forward to growing runner beans and potatoes without digging trenches first. I shall report back.
One question do you lime the soil for brassicas

[charles]

David,  I have decided to offer a weekend course on May 10th/11th and hope that works for you, see Course page for details.

[RedSkyOrganics]

Thanks for the great news Charles. It will work if we haven’t sold our home and moved back to Australia. I will make it work if we are still here. I know we will be here in late March purely because of the time it takes to convey a property. Sincere thanks for your kindness running another course to help people, learn your learnings and gain value from your experience.

[Author]

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