⭐🌼 'Growing Through the Seasons' 2027 Calendar launch!🌱🌞
|
We've been in full swing here on the farm, taking down summer structures, clearing beds, and planting out lots more winter crops. Our onions are sprouting, and we'll soon be selecting the best of our 'Derby Day' cabbages, 'Cavolo Nero' kale and 'Purple Reign' broccoli to transplant into the tunnel for their second season of growth. There are still harvests coming in, but we are focussing more on processing now, and preparing for the next set of seed crops. This week we took down our caterpillar and squash tunnels, which are temporary tunnels used to isolate specific crop varieties. We move them with the crops each year as part of our crop rotation, and it feels like only yesterday that we were putting them up! To think of all the plants (and seeds!) each one has supported over this intense summer is a special feeling. Our hands and feet have been busy, too - we've just threshed our whole crop of 'Nantes' carrots, hung up our first batch of Agretti, and processed our 'Rose' globe amaranth. This globe amaranth is a new flower for us, and will be released in our 2027 seed catalogue - it's incredibly beautiful dried or fresh, and has totally won us over! 'Growing through the Seasons'2027 calendar launchTalking of preparing for next year, we have just released our much loved calendars - designed by local artists and growers Isla and Bryony Middleton. This is the eight edition of these wonderful calendars, celebrating seasonal flowers, fruit, vegetables and biodiversity with full page original linocut designs. Each month is filled with practical growing and wildlife tips to plan the year from seed to harvest. We love these calendars, and know that many of you do, too. They are available now through our website:
The calendar also includes a really helpful sowing guide, which will help any new growers or those who like having a plan. It shows when to sow and harvest a broad range of crops to ensure a vibrant and productive garden all year round. I know that many of us are enjoying a bit of sun and a bit of rain at the moment, a happy mix for a gardener! If you've started sowing, and are curious about what else you might grow next year, then keep your eyes on us! We will be releasing our 2027 seed catalogue in November... With warmth, Izzy and the rest of the Vital Seeds team |
Vital Seeds Ltd
October has arrived, and it's starting to feel a bit autumnal. The early morning air has a cool crispness to it, and the swallows have left the farm for their journey south. On the wider farm it's squash season, which means there are boxes and boxes of beautiful, colourful squash filling the barn. We have been processing the seeds of our own squash harvest, and celebrating autumn with the first bowls of squash soup. Winter squash on the farm If you've been growing cucurbits this year,...
Welcome to all the new members who have joined our fortnightly newsletter, we are pleased that you've found us and hope you enjoy what we do! And, to all the long-standing readers, thanks as ever. We've had a busy couple of weeks here at the farm, both on the land and in the office. We have been busy ensuring our packeting store is well stocked and new orders are fulfilled, whilst also carrying on with all the current farm tasks as the season changes. There is much to be harvested right now,...
We are now nestled in our Sunday of summer. A moment that drifts back and forth between seasons; a time where harvests are still abundant, and minds begin to turn towards the months ahead - to preserving, reflecting, taking stock and thinking of rest. At this time of year, the land is rich with summer harvests and wild offerings, including all the crops that we have tended, and nature's own bounty of blackberries, elderberries, rosehips, sweet chestnuts and hazelnuts. With the abundance...