After 5 Years of Boat Life - It's Time for Something New

[@thistinylife]

Thanks for joining us this week! We can't wait to properly get started. If you could only eat one veggie for the rest of your life, what would it be?! jack's gone for purple sprouting, and I'm (Gabby) going for leeks! 🌱 Oh and if you fancy giving Readly a go, here's the link to get 2 months free: readly.com/thistinylife24

[@maryanndv7754]

Yes please foodie

[@dorotheaschmidt6858]

Tomatoes 😋🍅

[@yvonnebailey9973]

I love both your choices. But I think sweet potatoes are ONE of my favourites. I always enjoy whatever you do cooking, DIY , walking and foraging. Take care. X

[@beckyskye6708]

Potatoes, being Irish it's a must! So many ways to eat.

[@lisaroot4798]

Sprouts for me

[@brendatarocardreadings9511]

We MISS you both , hope all is well .. Its been a month since you have been current and active . sending love from Canada

[@suzannesimm7293]

Layer cardboard and compost and plant through it. Keep moving the carpet to different parts of the plot 😊

[@terryhayden2802]

Lots of cardboard and lots of compost! Make the borders without digging the ground… cardboard wetted down, thick layer of compost and you’re away! You can plant straight into it!

[@thistinylife]

Lovely! Thank you!!

[@Mrs.Plumbridge]

Yes I agree cover it in cardboard and put the compost and muck on the top keeps the weeds at bay 😊

[@janigreen7265]

Cardboard! All of the comments on controlling the grass and weeds are amazing! It also encourages earthworms to come and break it down, which helps naturally fertilize your garden.

[@andreamajai4337]

Any type of cardboard?? And how to keep foxes abay as well?? Thank you😊

[@janigreen7265]

@@andreamajai4337 any type of cardboard that does not have colored ink. Remove the tape and labels. Water the ground, layer cardboard and spray it down. Then you can add leaves, clippings, and soil if you like.

[@yvonnethorpe5224]

Tilly is hilarious………nothing but the best for her even on the allotment 🐶😂😂

[@thistinylife]

An absolute diva 😅

[@flowerpower7077]

I like that you always cook from scratch and turn out really inventive and delicious looking dishes despite having limited space. More please!

[@serenadm6619]

Can’t wait, my allotment changed my life , had a stressful job, lived in the city and used my allotment as a way to unwind, now I live off grid in a tiny house on wheels in a field , gave up my stressful life and just do jobs here and there to make ends meet, like you , much poorer , but so much happier:) can’t wait to see the allotment development :) you are such a beautiful little family :)

[@thelandofmint]

Same here Serena, I moved out of London UK over ten years ago to the mountains in central Europe..now I live in a small old stone house, grow my food, keep chickens and goats, preserve my food, make my own soaps, lotions, vinegars, etc..and I'm doing it alone without a car or electricity..no money whatsoever but I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been. If I have a bit of money, I would buy a good phone with a good camera to start a KZbin channel but for now I can't. Good luck to you. ❤

[@serenadm6619]

@@thelandofmint sounds idyllic , hope you get a good phone and start a you tube channel I would definitely subscribe :)

[@bencooper6284]

Start by making one or two small beds rather than trying to clear the whole space. Will give you more of a boost than struggling to do the lot. You could spend a year just covering some in cardboard to kill weeds ….

[@thistinylife]

Good advice, thank you 🌱

[@buddhaburst6260]

Where are you guys ! 😩 I know your very busy .. But I’m sure I’m not alone in saying “we miss you guys “ Safe travels” Hope your all healthy & happy ..

[@BillParslow]

We have an allotment so will be fascinated to see your food growing journey. Love your content - such a lovely way to live xx

[@sammierobinson9226]

Start the seeds now on the narrowboat. My husband uses rolled up newspaper for seed pots and then just sets them out when there are plants. The paper breaks down.

[@denisemeredith2436]

Or you can use the cardboard innards of toilet rolls.

[@Casseopeia777]

Exciting projects for 2024! Love the allotment. And yes, food and foraging would be a welcome addition.❤️

[@Tamsins_Potager]

Honestly, if I could grow just one veg, even tho I have many favourites, the easiset harvest and best reward comes from growing beans for drying. I love haricot beans. Direct sown, watered when needed, left to do their thing until you can pick dried pods, shell and store the beans for winter stews. And the little beans don't take up much space. Delicious 💚🌱 Looking forward to watching your little plot take shape 😊

[@thistinylife]

Thank you 🌱 ooh yes beans are a great shout!! We did save some seeds that we dried out from last year's harvest, need to dig those out!!

[@danjdclark]

Are you allowed to keep hens on your lotty? If so get some. Chickens are rotavators and pigs are tractors. Failing that the cardboard and compost "no dig" system is brilliant.

[@veronicaroach3667]

Yep - definitely with you on the British Way to plan anything - "have a cup of tea & look at it" - good idea to put black plastic over the bits you want to plant, to warm up the ground & kill off any weeds that are getting ready to sprout any minute. And gardening with mulch is the best way to avoid all the weeding.

[@thistinylife]

Thank you! We're going to do the covering with boxes 'foraged' from a few local shops!

[@maxiemills6982]

Yes, food, forage, travel, raising a child, all of it!

[@AidanKearney-c1z]

I use nettles as plant food. Just add to a bucket of water, and you will have the most nitrogen rich liquid feed. Nothing bought will match this. As you have some carpet there already, just move it along to kill the grass of to make things easier. Looking forward to seeing things progress

[@thistinylife]

That's a great tip, thank you ✨🌱

[@DGB37]

Go for it! Would love to see more foodie and foraging! We are also permanent live aboard....we have private mooring on River Thames just outside of Henley! Foraging is fascinating! Food is fun!

[@thistinylife]

Brilliant thank you! Oh lovely, hope you're safe in this rainy season!!

[@conniechurches5831]

I like the cooking and think it will go hand in hand with the new vegi patch. I live in Arizona USA and find narrow boat living very interesting. Love watching the renovation and the growth of your little family ❤

[@thistinylife]

Brill thank you ✨

[@Deb_Downes]

I discovered a gr8 way to smash & chop ginger and garlic. Use the flat side of a meat tenderiser. I slice the ginger, paring knife around edge to remove skin, tap, tap with tenderiser, chop & smear with a knife. Rinse & repeat for garlic. Good for ppl whose hands are getting iffy. I just do it ‘cos, although I’m trained in knife skills, I’m lazy 😻 Would love more cooking :)

[@marianneeckertjensen4723]

Good choice- cardboard and compost 🤩

[@susanlord3299]

Nothing better than growing your own fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs, we started by watching Charles Dowding's No dig channel, you can't go wrong if you follow him and it is a great time of year to start. Potatoes are great for breaking up the soil, so if nothing else start with planting some of them and as my mother used to say when faced with huge task like your overgrown allotment, " If you want to eat an elephant, take small bites" 😂 Good luck. Looking forward to following your progress .

[@thistinylife]

Great saying! Thank you ✨🌱

[@alanglass8161]

I was moored at Hayford a couple of years ago and recall walking to the Bell inn one day. Your journey to the allotment looks twice that distance and maybe a cycle with a trolley attachment might make it easier.

[@pattarrant8820]

You two did make me smile about taking on the allotment . Credit to you both , grabbing things with both hands and taking on every adventure. Bless your little doggy trying to make her bed and loved how well you wrapped her up. Good luck going ahead.xx

[@thistinylife]

Thank you! She is a little princess 🐾

[@nopenope6286]

The veggie I would choose is tomato. All videos are great to me that you make! If adding foraging and cooking videos is where your heart is leading you then go for it! I will be watching from the other side of the pond💙

[@thistinylife]

Oh thank you 🥰 tomatoes is a great shout!

[@MsRachaelRoberts]

What a lovely video again. So happy you guys got an allotment. Excited to see what you grow. Joubert is growing so bonny. Love how you refer to "2 kids" ❤ Tilly certainly is a baby too ❤ Stay sweet. You remind me of me and my hubby when we were younger. We're in our 50s now but we're planning to buy a boat this year ❤😊

[@70jag96]

Your videography is amazing. It's like watching a big movie. Beautiful.

[@karenmsuk]

Hire a rotavator. It will turn the soil and give you a nice base to start sowing. I would suggest membrane too so the weeding is kept to a minimum.

[@patriciahope2]

a rotavator is not part of the no dig gardening plan because it churns up the soil and brings dormant seeds to the surface

[@josiefrench75]

That dinner looked delicious, and glad to see Tillie warmed up again next to the fire 🤓 Have a great week

[@siriusowl]

Check out all of Charles Dowding's no dig videos on KZbin especially the ones he does on making beds from weedy pasture without digging. You will need to borrow a strimmer to take the top growth down, then get loads of cardboard to dampen and lay on top , plus lots of well rotted compost or well rotted manure to spread in a thick layer over the damp cardboard. Find a local tree surgeon to see if they can give you a big load of woodchip for the paths as a thick mulch on top of damp cardboard. You may find it easier to begin to sow many of your veg in modular seed trays if you have room on your roof or a table on the bank... This way you can raise veg plug plants to a size suitable size for transplanting into your veg plot. This gives the plug plants a head start from slugs and snails abd also gives you more time to prep beds... Hang back a bit from sowing seeds until it's a tad warmer. Broad Beans can be sown in the ground or in modular trays right now, as can peas.. they don't mind the cold. In your situation without a greenhouse to raise seeds, you are better off sowing other spring seeds from March onward, otherwise germination can be poor and disheartening.

[@Marilyn100w]

Great answer. Agree with all of this. Leave the underlying structures of the soil and go no dig.

[@patriciahope2]

wonderful advice here

[@siriusowl]

And this second video from Charles is also really good. I used to be an organic farmer and market gardener, now retired. I have ME CFS, so have limited energy and have followed the no dig method for the past ten years and it's so easy and so few weeds too and crops just improve year by year as the micorrhizal life in the soil increases. Whatever you do, don't rotate or you will chop up the roots of a lot of perennial weeds like bindweed, which will grow back in multitudes form all those little root fragments. Also rotavating and digging turn up masses of weed seeds so you end up endlessly weeding.. I have been blown away by how little I ever have to weed using no dig and not turning the soil and keeping as mulch on the surface at all times. The other big benefit of no dig is moisture retention from all the surface mulch and a from not disturbing the soil. Start with a patch that you mulch really well. You can grow veg pretty intensely with no dig, so you can fit a lot more veg in a small area. Stick to veg you love eating that are hard to buy fresh... Things like salad leaves, fresh herbs, perpetual spinach and chard. When starting it's maybe not worth using you precious cleared areas for veg that are cheap to buy organic.. ie carrots, main crop spuds etc... cabbages take up a lot of room so do non bush squash, stick to bush varieties of squash or smaller types that you can train up cane teepees.

[@sallysmith155]

Definitely would like to see more food and foraging.I really enjoyed the vlog and the food you made looks so delicious.🩵🩵🩷🩷

[@seanjamescameron]

I've moved back to Wales after 20 years in London but 30 years away from home. I've had to give me up allotment of 17 years and will be starting again here in Wales. I will know whether I have an allotment in March. Look forward to watching your adventures. If you need any advice just let me know. All the best.

[@thistinylife]

Oh giving it up must have been sad but the person taking it on will be very lucky to inherit it by the sounds of things! Good luck with getting the new plot 🤞

[@serenadm6619]

And a great allotment you had Sean :)

[@cherrypi_b]

Just a little advice: take it easy, don't plan too much, don't get worked up. Otherwise you forget to enjoy that you now have your own piece of greenery :) Maybe just start observing what already grows where, start small. I envy you! Would LOVE to have an allotment but it's nearly impossible to get one on Berlin. The waiting lists have been full for decades and are mostly closed for new applicants.

[@dianethompson2458]

I am so happy that you have a garden plot now. I would love to see you both cooking your foraged and home grown produce. The baby is getting so big! He is adorable. Best wishes from Canada

[@thistinylife]

Us too!! Thank you 🌱

[@helenbarron1729]

Hi Jack & Gabby, just love the simplicity of life for you and your gorgeous little family. Foodie ideas are always welcome. I grew my own veggies/fruit in my back garden until a year ago, when family situations and ill health prevented this. Hoping to return to some again for this coming year. Wishing you every success with your allotment. Don’t try to do too much at once otherwise you are unable to tend the crops you already have in the ground, which leads to poor crops. Best wishes Helen & Barney 😀🐕‍🦺

[@thistinylife]

Hey Helen (and Barney!!), thanks so much, glad you like the foodie content. That's a shame - all the best for being able to do return to the garden this year, in any capacity!!

[@susankohl5475]

Start by laying cardboard down. It will help cut down on weeds. Now is the perfect time. Cover with mulch. By spring the cardboard will have broken down and the mulch will help build the soil.

[@thistinylife]

Thank you!

[@SusanDuffield-t1y]

look at square foot gardening - once you have got a wee bit going/planted , add to it. Start some tomato seeds on your boat windowsill now for planting out when it gets warmer - You have room!

[@lorrainekalmin9944]

Rent a rototiller to turn up the soil and remove the roughage easier

[@christineschollar1317]

Put potatoes to chit now (you can do that on the boat). Put some potatoes in old egg boxes or something to chit. Then when ready plant them and they will unearth all the weeds etc as they grow. Also runner beans once you've got a little space. That's what we did when we took over half an allotment patch a few years ago. xx

[@user-xw6wj2qh5n]

I suppose it may differ area to area, but there tends to be an etiquette with allotments. You have to make it look used and cared for. Also, you have no idea what was there beforehand, so the usual is to dig it over to 2 spades depth - it will have been dug many times over the years, so your 'no dig' idea will not suffer and can be followed for future years. While digging it over you will get to know the soil very well and will be able to identify any issues such as twitch or other stuff that you don't want. This process also buries all that overgrowth so it becomes fertilizer and helps lighten the soil. You know this from your pot plants already. While digging it over you can dig in extra compost and/or mulch if you want, but you might not even need it - the old plant growth that is there might suffice. For at least the first year it is best to follow traditional systems so the other allotment keepers don't think it is an abandoned lot. Abandoned lots get taken back and given to people on the waiting list. In many areas a waiting list can be years long. In my home town there are periodic checks and any that look too unkempt or overgrown and any that other users report are soon allocated to new people. Demand for allotments fell for years to the extent the council sold off some land for housing, but now with a resurgence in interest people are looking at how to shorten the queue ahead of them. Sometimes there are even allotment committees - if you have one do not get on the wrong side of them! They will typically be a group of older gardeners with a strong belief in 'the old ways'. Covering undug ground with mulch and cardboard might not go down well with them. If you upset them you might as well walk away and forget the project since you are not there 24/7. Take note what your immediate neighbours set - if you don't want to use herbicides and pesticides you need to know what is growing next to your space so that you don't get an overflow of pests - or be accused of allowing them to spread to neighbours. To be really productive you will need to budget many hours a week to be there for many months of the year, perhaps a few hours each day at some critical periods. The typical allotment is about 250 m2 - you have to garden it very carefully to provide enough fruit and vegetables for 3 people. The hardest part is planning so that there are things to harvest in the winter months. 250 sq metres can easily produce more food than you need, but with a glut in mid to late summer and then a shortfall in Feb to March. You don't have the ability to have a large freezer on board, so careful crop planning will be the key here. You won't even have space to preserve much from the summer either. We used to have dozens of Kilner jars and reused jam jars full of salted runner beans, jams, preserves, fruit in sugary juice, more kinds of pickled vegetables than I can remember now - and it filled a room, plus we had 2 large chest freezers. We did not grow peas or potatoes (my God Father was a farmer, so we would get the equivalent of a dustbin full of peas from him each year when the pea harvesters were around. We would buy potatoes because the cost to buy v the space to grow them meant it was better this way. We grew the more valuable things. Kale, onions, runner/kidney beans, broad beans, parsnips, artichokes (root, not flower - a bit like yours, but bigger), swedes, brussels, cauliflowers, cabbages, leeks, spinach (wrong soil for carrots and beetroot unfortunately - too clay), then salad stuff, lettuce of various types, radishes and so forth - this was before rocket was a thing but we were never successful with tomatoes, so stopped with those but a relation with an allotment on the outskirts of Darlington used to produce tomatoes as big as tennis balls. They were a sight to behold. For fruits we had 2 eating apple trees and 1 cooker, raspberry canes (my favourite), strawberries - not an efficient use of space, but we love them and gooseberries - very high yield but less popular to eat. We grew herbs separately from the fruit and veg. A few types of mint, chives, thyme, sage, a type of onion where a small bulb grows at the top instead of in the ground - can't remember it's name, but great in salads, rosemary and a few others. The woods down the road had loads of wild garlic, so we could forage for that easily, along with water cress from not far away too - about the only things we ever foraged other than blackberries. I'm in the tropics now, so this is all in the past. Here we grow pandan (used for flavouring), mulberries, ulam raja and a few other local crops not known in UK. Where we are it is useless growing mangoes, rambutans, bananas etc. because the monkeys take them all, then having attracted them they will attack anything else that is growing as well as dislodging rood tiles when they have turf wars. We don't have space for a durian tree - my favourite local fruit. The amin thing is that you cannot be late with any part of the process. Hit it hard and stay focused. The first couple of years is a lot of effort while getting the ground into shape, then it gets a bit easier, but you have to stay on top of it all the time or it is like starting again from the beginning and you lose crops. Any holidays have to be planned carefully to avoid times you really should be in the allotment. They govern your life even more than pets - no option to put an allotment into kennels while you travel! Nature sets the calendar - not you.

[@59kiwilass]

What an exciting adventure. Cant wait to see how & what you do with it. Good luck with everything.

[@debbiewalker6542]

Yes please more foraging and cooking would be great loved this vlog today ❤❤

[@glennclarke9787]

What a great Vlog Guys. We are so pleased you've got an allotment & we enjoyed being with you there, we would be interested in watching your foraging & cooking too 😊 XXx

[@thistinylife]

Thanks so much ✨

[@alanjohn6355]

Look at how you access your plot, make your main path pass that carpet so you can start planting as soon as possible, maybe build a small wall around the plot of old scaffold planks, build your walkways either side to access the next two plots. Just alternate vegs each season per plot.

[@sianiswack633]

Yep. Do the good food thing, please. Thanks for showing the artichokes - i know that you know that their juices are sweetened with inulin. Which is good.

[@claireskinner9077]

We always take the instant coffee, tea bag’s and sugar packets. They go in a container for when we go camping/on a picnic etc - basically anytime when you can take a thermos of hot water with you/need to pack light.

[@cgp1442]

The plot is GREAT ❤. It's much easier to pull weeds when the ground is slightly wet . I see a green house too in your future. Can't wait to see it start taking shape ❤ You can also find misc containers and plant things in them. No digging 😊

[@thistinylife]

Thank you ✨🌱

[@rosie9048]

More food sounds wonderful but mainly just things that bring you joy too :) it’s so nice to see your joy captured and shared on here :) excited to see the allotment journey as it grows ✨love and light to all aboard your lovely little boat x

[@thistinylife]

Thanks so much Rosie ✨

[@ytanki]

I love your videos and now I am looking forward to your garden plot❤️❤️. It always is so relaxing to watch your videos❤️😍. Thank you and all the best❤️from Germany 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🐶

[@bs6281]

A shed will be great u can put a couple of chairs & tools😊

[@bs6281]

Cover area with card board, will stop weeds and then add compost and soil on top saves a lot of time

[@christineschollar1317]

Your meal looks delicious and definitely something i would be interested in seeing more of. Never grown or cooked artichokes but have eaten them so very interested in how you grew and cooked them. I'm mainly vegan so love that meal. Thank you for sharing and yes please more of. Also love your lifestyle and I'm many would envy you. Though not easy at times, definitely worth it. Time rich, cash poor is a great way to live with a roof over your head, whatever fom that takes, food to eat and someone or something to love and of course good health and peace. xx

[@moonboundartisanship6911]

Very excited for you. Advice. Enjoy your allotment, make a space(dog house) for Tilly and a spot for Junior to nap or play while you're hands are busy. My second son had his own garden plot at three and raised nicer carrots than the main plot so be ready for Junior's help. What ever method or methods you choose (& everyone has opinions on what is best) take notes on what you did in which bed when. You don't have to decide on what you think works the best on that bit of land before you start, but knowing what you did so you can do it again will really help. Label everything you won't remember. Take pictures. And have fun. A place to have your tea and look at your work and make you plans would be good. I am thinking about adding a small water feature with some goldfish to my garden this year. Good luck to you, looking forward to watching your garden grow.

[@thistinylife]

Thanks so much - all good advice! A space for Tilly and little junior is a brilliant plan. We're looking forward to warmer spring days at the veg patch 🧑‍🌾

[@jayne4328]

I love the vlog this week, I am so pleased you got the allotment, it will be just like the good life, bet you don't remember that, you are too young. It is so nice how you kept Tilly warm. Lovely family, Your little boy is coming on so well. Look forward to the next time.x

[@rolandvasquezguzman9083]

I spend half the day in the Garden and start preparing the raised beds. I dont dig anymore just work through with the Gardenclaw. Next is the greenhouse i have build last fall. Doing gardening about 40 years now and learning every season something new.

[@alisongalloway1455]

Thanks for the blog. Great cooking. Best thing I ever bought for my babies was a little rocking chair thingy. Baby can look around, you can eat your dinner with both hands and baby gets used to not being carried around all of the time. They are very light weight and can be stored anywhere when not in use.

[@thistinylife]

Ah thank you good plan. We'll need something soon as he's getting more alert and needing his own awake space!

[@terryhayden2802]

…might also be worth creating wooden edges to the borders! Also worth thinking about growing stuff you’ll eat, nothing too adventurous to start with! Best of luck with it! Very jealous!

[@1Polglen]

Chuckled at the tea bags. When I was cycle touring it was the little wrapped butter pottles. When we stopped for coffee and a scone or muffin. If they came with two butters one went in the bag for cooking later. Carrying oil or butter for cooking is tricky on a bicycle.

[@thistinylife]

Ha sensible!!

[@steamingiron]

Exciting times ahead, can't wait to see how the veggie plot develops. Would love to see some more cooking content. Have a wonderful week you three. xx

[@thistinylife]

Thank you! You too! ✨

[@janet-myspinonthings7016]

So looking forward to seeing your veggie patch. As mine heads into winter I’ll be able to enjoy yours. Loved the video

[@thistinylife]

Perfect timing 🧑‍🌾

[@suzie5772]

Omg, I’m so excited for you and your allotment ❤ we absolutely loved ours, fed ourselves completely. Ours was 6 feet high in brambles and weeds. We cut all the weeds down, weeded, roughly turned the soil and covered it with pelleted chicken manure for a month. A little at a time we turned sections into growing space, it didn’t seem so daunting. Sadly we had to give our allotment up but we still grow an abundance of food in our garden and greenhouse. I have a seed spouter which provides most of our winter salad leaves and seeds. I can’t wait to watch your progress ❤❤❤ Your lives together as a family, living with freedom is beautiful and full of riches. You are blessed.

[@beckyskye6708]

Absolutely love to have more foodie an foraging stuff. Such a joy to watch you both, loving your family adventures ❤️❤️❤️

[@raydebbiemcdonald3208]

Good luck with the allotment. Looking forward to joining you on your new venture

[@louiseking9726]

I took over a wild patch like you’ve got some years ago, I dug it over the first year to get rid of the worst, don’t rotivate as you just reseed the weed! Split it up into areas, keeps it manageable and easier to rotate crop the following year and as everyone says grow what you like to eat!! Some will work and some won’t but hey it’s fun! Get your garden fork and spade, get started xx

[@thistinylife]

Thank you!!

[@maureenlowther7621]

Does that mean that with an allotment you won’t be cruising but staying put?❤️❤️

[@pgee-1969]

Get , or make raised beds, pallet wood is good enough. Will save on back trouble as well.

[@lexheath8276]

At least you know the important things in life! I thank the gods for Marie, else I'd be a nomad tent dweller. I'm proof one can own two properties, yet still be "dirt poor". Been wanting to ask, can the canals be fished? Cheers

[@stephenpyner4156]

Great to see you guys again, nice to see you have been given the chance to own an allotment, you could try using all your left over cuttings from the veg you eat to make some compost along with Tilly's number 2's all mixed together. Personally I would eat sweetcorn every day of the week

[@kencase2179]

Found you guys via the Holly - The Cafe Boat gang. Loved this vlog and will go back and view the previous vlogs. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@christinaward161]

I am so excited for you all! 3 years ago we rented a field. Now we have a polytunnel, tons of outdoor raised beds,and just love growing our own veg etc. Its alot of hard work, but so, so worth the veg you reap and what you can offer to friends and family. Our field is my happy place, where i can do physical work, potter, plant, pick and just sit and be present. Exciting times ahead for you guys xxx

[@thistinylife]

That sounds brilliant!! So excited by the prospect of being as self sustainable as possible. Thank you ✨

[@wesandchelle]

We're starting a vegetable garden this year also. Can't wait to see how yours turns out. I will probably put cardboard down and wet it as some comments are saying. I would love to see more on foraging and the foodie stuff.

[@thistinylife]

Brilliant, thank you ✨ and enjoy your allotment!!

[@dianetanski464]

I think sweet potatoes are my favorite vegetable. I have a garden which is going to rack and ruin right now. I have had two back surgeries and a third one is coming within the next month. So no gardening for at least six months . It took me 22 years to talk my husband into my garden. So therapeutic! Enjoy! Dig it all up first, pull out all the weeds and rocks, and then add your good dirt and compost and then mix it in really well. Mine started out as raised beds. That system worked for me. Good luck!

[@thistinylife]

Oh no! Hope you recover quickly. Thank you 🙏🙏

[@susanadams4964]

I love jerusalem artichokes! another great video Yes to more cooking on the channel!

[@jmitch5161]

Anything you choose to share is always a joy. Excited to see your progress with the allotment. Old carpet is a great way to kill off grass etc on . overgrown ground. There are loads of channels on YT to help. 🙏

[@thistinylife]

Ah thank you that's lovely to say ✨ sure, we've got a whole new part of KZbin to delve into! 🌱🌱

[@samphipps7651]

Everything you cook looks delicious 😋 can’t wait to see what lovely meals you make with your allotment grown goodies 🍆🥔🌽🥕🥦🍅🥗🌶️🧅

[@nedfisher3688]

Merci!

[@efortunywhitton]

On Gardener's World, I saw that they used cardboard to cover the ground and then on top of that, they placed the compost and dirt, etc. And in this way, over time, the cardboard prevents weeds from coming up, but eventually decomposes, and evidently, it's a win-win! 😊 ... Yes, love learning new recipes/tips, etc.! :)

[@thistinylife]

Thank you ✨

[@pilpelet100]

I hope that growing your own veg on your allotment works well. I look forward to your vlogs and would love to see more foodie stuff. I love all vegetables with the exception of okra so it's very difficult to define which one I would eat forever. I think that my decision would be potatoes. I know it's boring but they're very versatile.

[@michaellewis3067]

Wishing you well with your allotment. No dig is a great way to grow veg. It can be challenging but it leaves the soil in much better condition than conventional methods. Very pleased not to be sharing your narrow boat tonight after your artichoke meal 💨🤭

[@chorky2]

Your dog made me laugh she’s just like mine, good luck with the veg patch. Heather

[@jackiejames775]

Like others have said where the carpet is turn soil and plant seeds. At least one section done. Place carpet on an another section. If you could get a trimmer it would help clear the space quicker. I took on an allotment in the same condition. Worked on small sections at a time. I no longer have a plot. But I planted a lot of potatoes first to break soil and pumpkins, beetroot, runner beans, onions, cucumbers. Cabbage and broccoli I had to build a frame and cover. You can plant small fruit trees, which they call stepover training, so other fruit, veg, and flowers can be grown in the space under. I wish you good luck and a fruitful year. Small steps but great job satisfaction once you have your first harvest.

[@thistinylife]

Small steps is the way! Sounds like you had a brilliant patch 🌱🌱

[@cindytennessee]

Gabby & Jack, playing catch-up with your vlogs and I discover you have an allotment! How wonderful! Boaters talk about maybe someday and they grow a little on their boat, but you did it…an allotment. I am so so excited for you! 🥳👏🏼🎉 Oh and definitely please keep cooking!

[@shinylittlepeople]

I have 3 acres and I have learned that if you aren't going to be there every day or every few days. Pick veg that don't require a lot of attention. ... water and pests will be your biggest issues. I like Potatoes number one. you literally do not have to water them.I have been doing potatoes for two years and they are the easiest. I never watered and we have hot summers in South western Ontario , Tomatoes work well too because you can get by with very little watering. Pests ( caterpillars, earwigs and slugs love cabbage, carrots, kale and similar veggies). herbs are amazing to plant like sage, thyme, oregano > (perennials) and not watering after the first few months. Annuals like parsley are easy... cilantro, & basil would be better on the boat top so you can pull them into the shade and watch their water levels. Definitely do onions leeks and garlic because they only need weeding an very little watering. Cucumbers beans peas and other climbing will need water water water.... but Swiss chard parsley are easy to grow along with radishes if they aren't over crowded. Just do research and definitely check out Charles Dowdling because he his the king of no dig and really has amazing technique for less labour intensive projects. He was a huge inspiration. Trial and error... you will learn from everything you experience.... positive or negative. My main crop is potatoes on a small scale... about 50 lbs of potatoes this year as a filll in at the back of my tomato crop which I actually lost to a fruit fly infestation because I over crowded and I was working so much that I didn't have a chance to harvest and either can them, give them away or sell them... but tomatoes will reseed so if you want tomatoes the following year... especial cherry tomatoes or small varieties just leave the soil the way it is and you will have lots of tomatoes creating up the following year. Back to the potatoes the few people I shared the with...said they were the best they had ever eaten... I agree. I ended up going through 20 lbs by myself before Christmas because I couldn't get enough.. best I've ever tasted. I will be doin way more this year. I just bought seed potatoes from my local rural hardware store. PS if you know what Potato leaves look like you will likely get a small reseed from your last harvest if you miss a potato or two ... usually the baby ones. they will get you a small harvest at the end of the summer so don't pull them out if you see a potato plant popping up just plant your new seed potatoes near them and you will have more than you anticipated. Potatoes store well and they are absolutely delicious even when they start to get soft. As long as they aren't smelly or rotting... eat them! great as chips (fries) or crisps~! good luck and most of all have FUN!!!

[@thistinylife]

Charles Dowding is very much an inspiration to us too! Thank you, agree with potatoes and tomatoes as essentials!! We've only ever grown potatoes in pots so will be exciting to maybe have a few more and different varieties this year. Herbs we're going to keep to growing at the boat ✨ thanks for all the advice!;

[@markrant1460]

AAHHH guys what a wonderful opportunity. Any possibility of doing raised beds instead of digging up the grass? Otherwise Jack, as you dig a piece up Gabby you plant in that cleared section. Don't look at it as a one big project, instead break it down into smaller pieces. All the very best to all of you. Mark Alberta, Canada

[@thistinylife]

Possibly raised beds... We'll see! Thank you 🌱🌱

[@beverleybutler7685]

Dog in a blanket bless her!😆Good on ya wi allotment, plenty of exercise digging, fun for joubert seeing how stuff grows and of course when it grows yur home grown produce! What's not to like!!👍😊

[@thistinylife]

🥰🥰

[@emummy2]

A couple of choices to start your allottment....dig and flip the top growing layer so the roots are in the air. The weeds will dry out and die. Put cardboard over the soil and add compost. If cardboard (or heavy layers of newspaper-think thick smothering non toxic water permeable layer) are not available you can add compost to the soil after you've turned the top layer and pulled out the weedy plants. (Add them to your compost pile or dig shallow ditches along your garden beds and compost in place). If compost is a limiting factor you can create your rows or holes and just add compost to that space. Oh, do yourselves a favor and help insure a sucessful harvest this year-plant just the plants you know and love to eat. What a fun place to be-on the verge of something new and exciting! Good Luck! BTW, soil does NOT like to be left uncovered. Maybe move the carpet to a new section but be sure to cover that beautiful bit it was on so it doesn't get weedy.

[@thistinylife]

Thanks so much! We've just left the carpet back down for now... Don't want to return to a new weedy patch 😅

[@debmansbridge3923]

Hi lovely tiny family whatever your vlog is so wholesome and makes me well envious keep doing whatever feels right for you xxx

[@thistinylife]

Oh thank you ✨

[@sheilajoseph9953]

My veg would have to be celeriac or carrots. You will have an abundance of veg come summer. You both are living a more meaningful life. 💚 A definate yes for cooking recipes 😊

[@thistinylife]

Great thank you 🙏 oo celeriac, Gabby's a sucker for it!

[@chrisknowles7443]

Brave is all I can say this week! Take care Bunnies! Luv Aunty Chris xxx

[@thistinylife]

Thank you 🥰🥰

[@thehealthjunkie8996]

What a beautiful vlog this week, so lovely to see you have an allotment. Do you have a mooring nearby? Love the idea of foraging and food content. So much nicer to see than all the van conversions. Your little one is truly cute.

[@thistinylife]

Thank you ✨ yes we have a mooring! We did have plans to have a cruising adventure this summer but we'll be staying closer to home to tend the veggies 🌱🌱

[@mickilicyes5399]

I am a fairly new subscriber and I love your videos, but you guys gardening just brought my enjoyment of your chanell to new heights! Can't wait to see what you do with it!!!

[@mickilicyes5399]

I hadn't watched the end of the video when I posted this. I would love more cooking shows! I grow Jerusalem artichokes so this recipe is right up my alley. Also I follow a whole food plant based diet so again this meal is a win for me! Thank you for your beautiful videos!

[@thistinylife]

Thanks so much Mick, lovely to have you onboard ✨ cannot beat Jerusalem artichokes, so easy to grow too!

[@jb-zr4ez]

I would be interested in seeing more ‘foody’ bits please especially if you include the recipes as well. That artichoke dish looked delicious!

[@thistinylife]

Awesome thanks✨

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Just popping in to say hello. I’m a new subscriber. I’m from Australia and I look forward to sharing your adventures. Thank you. 🙂🐿🌈❤️

[@obiblooze5902]

A lovely homely video, love the way you look after Tilly. Would really like more foodie stuff, that meal looked so delicious. Did you have a windy night after the Jerusalem artichokes? Can affect some people that way 😊

[@thistinylife]

Thank you!! They do have that reputation don't they!

[@pandrew3146]

Fabulous, thankyou 😊

[@kiandra323]

Love to see foody stuff.

[@deborahhalsey]

This is SO exciting. I've just got an allotment too. I can't wait to see what you do with yours. Also, more Tilly wrapped in a scarf content, please!

[@thistinylife]

Haha sure we can do that 🐾🐾 enjoy getting going with yours too, it's so exciting isn't it 🌱🌱

[@sarahprior9517]

Brilliant. I found peas, tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce the easiest to grow. Suggest you use the inner cardboard tube from loo rolls, filled with compost, to start your seeds off. Good luck

[@thistinylife]

Yes, love that way of planting seeds! Thank you🌱

[@edie_perty]

no dig for sure, just aerate the soil with your fork, pop your veggie scraps on and then lay cardboard, put compost on top, leave the lot to break down for a few weeks and in the meantime get your seedlings ready, i plant my new seedlings using veg potting mix and plant straight into compost.. I have a quick tutorial on my channel for a no dig, its very primitive but you'll get the gist. Enjoy.

[@thistinylife]

Thank you! Can't wait to get some seedlings on the go 🌱