Walled Garden
Click on the Walled Garden to view our 'Veggie Cam'
Our walled garden is situated in the North West of Laverstoke Park Farm. It is of great value to the farm as it is here that we grow many varieties of fruit and vegetables. If you visit the garden you will notice a considerable difference in temperature. The Walled Garden is sheltered from winds and frosts, thus the temperature within the garden is warmer, enabling plants to be grown earlier and allowing us to grow plants that are normally grown in warmer climates.
How do we control predators and pests without using chemicals?
The high walls of the garden keep out the deer and rabbits. Pigeons and crows are some of the birds which can destroy our fruit and vegetables, which we prevent by hanging red plastic bags around the fruit and vegetables and covering some of the soft fruits and delicate plants with netting.
The small pests and diseases in the soil are controlled by crop rotation. Planting the crops in different areas each year breaks down the life cycle of the breeding pests and diseases. Some crops help to control weed growth for crops the following year and different crops have different soil requirements. Rotating crops prevents the soil becoming starved of the nutrients the plants use.
We sow different plants with each other, which is known as companion planting e.g. we grow scorzonera with carrots to prevent carrot fly. We have four large beds in the Walled Garden where each year we rotate our vegetables.
What other organic methods do we use?
Compost from our farm is dug into the soil during the autumn and during the winter/spring when we plant our seeds. We have a natural spring next to the garden which is pumped through pipes for irrigation.
Some of the crops are grown from seeds and put straight into the ground such as carrots and beetroot. Other crops, like cabbages and broccoli seeds, are planted in trays in the glasshouses during the winter and then transplanted into the garden during March in order to avoid frost damage.
A potato isn't just a potato or a cabbage just a cabbage! Like dogs, sheep, bees and all living species, there are many different varieties.
To view the different parts of the Walled Garden visit our live webcam of the garden here.