Allan Challenger

In the previous decade Friends’ volunteers had built raised beds around a central vegetable area and a central bay tree and four apple trees within. However, like the rest of the garden it had become overgrown with nettles, brambles and horsetail. Our work began in 2021 as part of the overall Shakespearean Garden restoration.
Photos 1 & 2
In Autumn 2021 we began clearing and preparing the main beds using the ‘No Dig’ method one of the best known proponents of which is Charles Dowding. An introduction to No Dig can be found in his blog, https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/resources/beginners-guide.
The whole area was strimmed as flat as possible area then covered with cardboard to suppress and kill weeds. The beds and pathways were marked out, the pathways covered with bark and beds with compost. Horsetail still found its way through and new weeds self-seed so weeding is still needed but much less than would have been the case.