The relative success of our first full year of growing our own encouraged us to expand so in 2019 we set up more beds. We layed out two bed in what we previously called the orchard. Unfortunately half the saplings we had planted died when the ground became waterlogged following a very wet winter and the council's changes to drains which resulted in surface water from the road pouring through onto the adjacent field. Extra field drains and many years later the old orchard is no longer so vulnerable and provided an ideal space.

When we moved into the Sticks in 1988 there was a small patch of ground we decided was ideal for a vegetable garden. The problem was that building rubble from the renovation of the house had been tipped all over it by the previous owners and soil and clay from digging foundations tipped all over that. Our first job was to clear away the rubble.

When in 2015 the business I worked for was put up for sale I decided that I'd stay as long as my job continued, then take the package and retire. I worked out that together with my pay off and savings I would have enough to tide me over until I was able to start drawing my pension. I took financial advice and began planning my retirement. High on my list of retirement projects was the renovation of my vegetable garden. Originally started in 1989 and then renovated 10 years later it had once again fallen into disrepair and was overgrown with nettles, docks and brambles. The greenhouse was full of junk we didn't really need but hadn't quite had the heart to throw away.