Less herbs, more mulch

12 October 2026 · 2 min read

The soil is better every year, mostly because I stopped digging it. Saving seed means next year’s garden starts this autumn. Compost is slow magic, and it cannot be rushed.

What I kept

Half of gardening is noticing what grows on its own. You can get unexpectedly far with a garden fork and some persistence. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed.

It is not glamorous, but it holds up. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. It is easy to overthink sowing seeds. It is harder to just start.

What I would do differently

The slugs got most of the lettuce, but the beans did well. The result is not perfect, but it is honest. A cold frame extends the season by weeks at either end. You can get unexpectedly far with a hand trowel and some persistence.

Where it started

I attempted the shady version first. It did not last. Somewhere between the orchard and home, the idea finally made sense. It took me nine attempts to see the pattern.

I like tomatoes that shows the marks of how it was made. I sow a little too early every spring and never seem to learn. The first twelve weeks were mostly about unlearning.

• Stop before you are tired
• Compare against last autumn
• Do less sowing seeds, more saving seed
• Compare against last summer

Leave some corners messy; the insects will thank you.

cover cropsseed trays