In the previous decade Friends’ volunteers had built raised beds around a central vegetable area, a 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.


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.
So successful was this clearing that by the time of the Christmas celebration in December 2021 the planned vegetable patch could be ‘dressed’ for the occasion.
The beds were then ready for our first planting in Spring 2022.


The emphasis was on growing produce that would have been known in Shakespeare’s time, beans, peas, brassicas, onions and currant and gooseberry bushes. In particular, we searched out old vegetables consumed before potatoes became ubiquitous – skirret, rampion, Good King Henry and salsify.
The arrival of new volunteers gave the construction of various climbing frames around the garden a boost.


Spring 2023 saw the establishment of a herb collection in two of the raised beds and the construction of bed dividers offering a better display.
It was decided to share produce from Garden with a local food bank and to plant potatoes and tomatoes (late Tudor additions to English horticulture).
In late Autumn 2023 several of the beds were sown with green manures intended to cover bare soil, suppress weeds, and improve soil fertility. Broad beans were planted which by spring 2024 were growing vigorously.


In Winter / spring 2024 flood water and adverse weather impeded preparation for planting.

However, work continued and a hügelkultur bed was developed. This is a technique from permaculture which establishes a carbon and nutrient rich environment for plants.
Later Mushroom beds and a hurdle fence was constructed


By Spring 24 with the flood having receded the Garden was ready for this year’s main planting.

The main challenges are the usual ones associated with ‘volunteer’ ‘session’ gardening – especially regular watering and care of tender plants especially those grown in situ from seed. Sharing the Garden with animals and birds is always going to produce unpredictable results. And then there is the increasingly variable weather.
Future ideas include greater use of netting / cages to protect vegetables / fruit, replacement of the central Bay tree and possible expansion of mushroom beds.