Garden Tour in early April | Homestead Garden | Growing for Self Sufficiency

Garden Tour in early April | Homestead Garden | Growing for Self Sufficiency
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About Us.
Byther Farm is a small organic homestead, being designed and managed using permaculture practices. We aim for self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables for increased self reliance and better resilience to the modern world. I recognise that we are unlikely to be truly self sufficient, but do the best we can. I share our home with my loving husband, Mr J and our cat, Monty.
We are a fifty-something couple who live on a smallholding in Carmarthenshire, Wales. We are going green and creating a gentler, cleaner and more healthy life for our family.
Having had a highly successful smallholding in Monmouthshire, we hope to recreate the abundance at our new home. There will be a large organic kitchen garden with no dig gardening raised beds and young food forest in which to grown our fruit and vegetables.
We keep a few sheep and Aylesbury ducks.
Music
'Breathe' by Kafkadiva. www.kafkadiva.com
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[@LizZorab]

Are there areas in your garden that you are particularly happy with? Please share your gardening positivity!

[@kaybrain7429]

I'm happy that I've stopped my cat digging up my onions! Lol 😅 I've used plastic forks that I bought from the charity shop, just shoved in with the forks sticking up, sorry Lola but had to be done.

[@katrin462]

I love my spinach and giant red mustard in my cold raised bed and some perpetual spinach growing really well there too. And my little apple tree with buds ready to open if it would stop raining for a minute!

[@JanRonandArthur]

The daffodils in my front garden have been glorious this year. And I have added 3 Emerald Green Arborvitaes to the foundation plantings and for some odd reason, adding them has made me feel like a real gardener! Love your channel. Cheers

[@FaceEatingOwl]

I'm fairly sure that was Hairy Bittercress, not Chickweed. It's edible and lovely, very cressy flavour. Great with eggs and in salads, obviously 😊

[@aliliveswellonless]

Thank you for showing a 'real' garden weeds and all with plant labels worn off! Realistically that's what most of us are dealing with right now. My climate (Central Scotland) is similar to yours so nothing gets planted out until May at the earliest!

[@ansievicente]

I absolutely love how real you are about the state of your garden! I'm gathering courage to tackle a huuuuuge pre-winter garden reset and you've reminded me a little bit each day is just fine. Thank you!❤

[@katrinabrudenell-maylin8698]

Thank you for keeping it real. It’s so much more encouraging than the perfection!

[@LizZorab]

Always! I'm happy to take those beautiful photos for social media, but I think it's important to show the reality of the average garden at this time of year (any time of year!) too.

[@jackiebridgen4827]

"Can't see any thistles yet" 🤣🤣🤣 welcome to my world 🤣🤣🤣

[@LorraineG123]

Liz thanks for a lovely video during my lunch. Its lovely when people are honest about their gardens and allotments. It's great to record it, and look back mid summer to see the difference. You have a beautiful homestead, and you do get a vast amount of harvesting from what you do. I love the way you number your beds, if you don't mind, I might take that idea ogln board. I never thought to do that. Good for keeping track. Thanks for the tour Liz.

[@LizZorab]

Numbering the beds just makes it easier to identify them. I can't remember where I first saw it done, but I know I thought it was a good idea.

[@LorraineG123]

@LizZorab definitely a good idea. Thanks Liz

[@emmareynolds7904]

Echoing what others have said. It is so much more encouraging to me to see the reality of someone else's garden! The successes, the failures and the 'I haven't got round to this yet" bits. Thank you!! I feel so much more encouraged!!

[@zoeward4555]

Hi Liz, great to see a real garden tour. The weed you mentioned in the video was not chickweed but bittercress. Both are edible. The bittercress tastes a little bit mustardy and chickweed is a yummy lettuce-type flavour. Thanks for your inspiring videos!

[@badalice14]

Thanks for sharing a real look at what's growing, weedy, labels missing, looking good and looking bad! 4th growing season on the allotment for me and I'm doing flowers for the first time. Your garden was an inspiration for that! Love your polycultures too so trying to do something similar when I plant the flowers out. I'm in Yorkshire on a very open site. Gets loads of sun but also very windy and exposed!

[@lbenson2488]

Liz, I so enjoy your videos! Thanks for taking us through your garden=)

[@thelightlysgardenallotment8050]

At around 12:00 the plant is hairy bittercress. Nice mustard flavour 😀 I chop it up in salad sometimes but my chickens go mad for it too.

[@carolineholland4178]

I'm really happy to have a few purple sprouting broccoli plants left. The cold spell in early December turned most of them into mush! What was left was getting eaten by the Pigeons as well as getting blown over by the wind. So...I covered what was left with an odd bit of veggie mesh and I have 4 plants that are giving me the gift of purple sprouting. Most of the perennial flower plants have survived, the garlic is looking good and the chervil is relentless. Thinking that I planted the leeks and cavalo nero a bit late, they weren't a great success. We win some, we lose some! The positivity comes with giving it a go and appreciating the learning process, the reward of eating delicious freshly picked food, and the way that the whole experience is healing and nurturing my mental health. I love this video Liz,"warts and all". I hope that you are feeling better after being affected by covid. Wishing you a happy, healthy and productive season ahead!

[@LizZorab]

Great positivity Caroline! Thank you for your well wishes, I think it's going to be a long return to full health, but I'm still on the mend and that's the important thing - both the garden and I are going in the right direction!

[@smokiiburr4026]

Congrats on your new book! Thanks for being a corner of the world I don’t feel rushed to get all the seeds in, you’ve put me at ease 💐

[@claudiaknecht1315]

Your videos always have the same effect on me… „get out in the garden and do something“ - just bought yr new book! Looking forward to reading it. Kind rgds Claudia

[@rrichards1210]

Great video. It was inspiring to see your garden has weeds and not everything survives. It makes me feel less of a failure when I look at my garden. Often we see gardens on KZbin that look lush and magnificent which isn't always the reality. I struggle with timing my seed sowing, planting out etc. Last winter I had cabbages and broccoli just sitting and not growing, then as soon as spring was hinted at, they bolted. I didn't know at the time that the flowers could be eaten so I pulled them out. This year I have tried to plant them earlier but the seedlings are not growing very fast. So I suspect it will be another disappointing crop.

[@ailove313]

This year is the first time I used square garden. I plan to add it more. It is so convenient to use.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

looks very windy there LOL I love it when all the flowers are out in the summer, the more flowers the happier I am. In the winter and the summer i like my chickens!

[@SiljeMeum]

Ah, thank you Liz, for this beautiful inspirational video. You had me at the intro, as I'm absolutely feeling the "late sow"-anxieties. Spring in Norway is encredibly slow, we haven't even gotten our narcissuses or tussilagos even. Frost just let go last week. :(

[@LizZorab]

Hi, we have a storm blowing through today, together with some hail and sleet. There is definitely wintery weather still happening here too. In previous years, when I lived further south, I would have sown all of my seeds by the end of April, but I'm going to take my time here and not panic. Nature will catch up.

[@lynnerobinson6425]

Very reassuring video, I was worrying about being behind with my allotment jobs.

[@mic7735]

Thank you so much for adding in the map of your garden as you talk through each bed. It helps me to understand where you are in relation to everything. My garden beds are numbered as well! I don't know anyone else who does that. Love watching your garden developing.

[@ncmcdonnell5486]

I received a signed copy of your book The Seasoned Gardener which I pre-ordered and have nearly finished reading it. It is really relatable to the issues in my own garden and it inspires me to get out there. There is lots of new information and great pictures. Thanks.

[@LizZorab]

So pleased that you like it Would you mind leaving a review on Amazon? It really helps me.

[@darlajohnson2020]

Thanks for the "lay out" graphic so we can track where you are on your garden!

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

My garden positivity is don't worry what the other person's garden looks like. Wait for nature on one's own plot. Early spring is always a time of cleaning. My garden still has a layer of snow. I might be able to do my spring reveal this week.

[@lizzieatherfold2293]

Your growing space looks awesome and I admire how you manage it ❤ excellent job

[@LizZorab]

Thanks so much Lizzie! 😊

[@joobrien]

Loving the honest real update, I have pots all year growing that need transplanting

[@jenniferholter7610]

Great realistic tour! ❤

[@LizZorab]

Thank you! 🤗

[@wiktoriaholmstrom9013]

"Somewhat pot-bound" 😂

[@adrianmorning.1555]

You need to eat the dandelion flowers - probably more healthy than alot of veggies lol

[@mums_homestead]

The plant you thought was chickweed looks like it could be hairy bittercress to me. It is one of my favourite weeds.

[@lynmaunsell4062]

Lovely tour Liz. Great to see so much shooting back, weeds & all, after being covered in snow. 😊

[@LizZorab]

I've emailed you about your book.

[@theukyankee]

I'm in London, which is a warmer microclimate, so I have begun to sow some seeds and I'm hardening off some plants. A few I just began indoors. I also have a small raised bed area so it's a bit earlier to deal with. I do have hoops up to protect and keep a bit warmer once I plant out my tomato and pumpkin plants.

[@JaneDoe-ft8sz]

This is my first year seriously gardening here in Missouri. So far we have red norland potatoes come through the ground. I have a raised bed of over 15 cabbages. Some I started from seed. I have a raised bed of a multicrop of radishes, carrots, scallions, lettuce and spinach. I'm in zone 6a. I feel behind because I don't have peas and beans planted. Spent the whole day trying to find a watering wand that doesn't leak. ☹️☹️

[@stevendowden2579]

lovely tour liz

[@LizZorab]

Thank you Steven. They take an age to edit, but I think it's worth having these detailed records of what is growing and when.

[@dooleyooley]

Not chickweed - hairy bittercress. Devilishly prolific and the seed Pods explode when ripe in order to spread. They are edible though just as common water cress is.

[@CoastalGardensNW]

Hi liz great update your new place has come along great now

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Liz, a lovely tour of all of your beds, with lots of descriptions and useful information too. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@LizZorab]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@AAHomeGardening]

Lovely tour, thank you

[@LizZorab]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MyFantasyHomestead]

Amazing job! I still can't believe how fast you are moving in this property! And now a food forest too! I just got my allotment, after waiting for it for over a year. So happy and now running around making plans in my head. I put in Cambridge Favourite strawberries in there last week, hopefully I will have some berries this year 🤞😊

[@LizZorab]

Thank you so much!

[@dragon4989]

My overwintering onion sets got absolutely demolished by the cold this winter. I grew them last year and they did great over winter. I was completely devastated by losing them this year and it took me a bit to bring myself to go back into the garden. Then the neighbour cut down their beautiful big cherry tree (which was growing great) and my annoyance at that actually drove me back into the garden to get things sorted. Funny what gets you going. I don’t know if they knew what they did at the time but maybe the bunch of dwarf fruit trees I bought and put into prominent places in massive pots might have given it away. 😄 Oh, and it was Hairy bittercress and it’s literally everywhere in my garden.

[@LizZorab]

I highly recommend Welsh bunching onions as an alternative to standard bulb onions - the ones in our garden shrugged off the cold and were laughing in the face of adversity I hope your new fruit trees make a beautiful display this year and while they won't make up for an old cherry tree, they might give you a smile every time you look at them!

[@dragon4989]

@@LizZorab I’ve definitely been looking at those bunching onions! I love onions so even in addition to what I normally grow they would be great. Thank you so much for all your wonderful videos, you’ve inspired me massively!

[@christiensgarden3325]

Love the whole garden.. can wait to buy your book again

[@LizZorab]

Awesome! Thank you! I'm looking forward to showing how it looks in a couple of months, when the flowers are blooming and vegetables are growing quickly.

[@piaolsen5129]

Great walk through! Would like to mention Amelanchier is a wonderful hardy tree/bush here in Denmark with something for each season. The fruit is edible as far as I know for all Amelanchier but there are varieties grown for larger berries which are delicious and might make nr. 1 on my berry list for eating fresh or as a jam.

[@LizZorab]

Thanks Pia! When I started to say about eating Amelanchier berries, I suddenly thought 'can I?'

[@Gardeningforhealthandwellbeing]

After you mentioned you may have green bits on your teeth for the rest of the video, a kfc add popped up and said I don't care I love it, the timing was perfect, this was way too good not too share.

[@LizZorab]

Love it!

[@jpennturner]

Hairy bittercress I think seeds all over!

[@LizZorab]

Thank you, I can't believe how many names of plants I struggled to remember while filming this video!

[@lynnerobinson6425]

I think it's hairy bittercress too. Definitely not chickweed.

[@bhmacdonald]

Great video Liz. Enjoy the last of your Sprouts. Loving the variety in your new beds. Had you thought about naming / coding the aisle / columns (e.g. A, B, C & D) and then you could have numbered rows. Any tips on Blackberries? This will be my 3rd year with 3 plants from Ideal World and they have never given any fruit of note. 2 of them look awful and barely alive for Spring. Can I revive or should I throw in the towel and get a new plant with more guarantee to produce berries? Thanks Ben

[@corinne6545]

We planted an Amelanchiar this year, especially for the edible berries. I’ve not tasted one (they’re supposed to taste a bit like blueberries?), but even if I hate the taste, the tree is beautiful too.

[@LizZorab]

And there's the thing... a beautiful tree is still a beautiful tree whether we can eat the fruit or not 🌳

[@ingeleonora-denouden6222]

The berries of Amelanchier, when they have the right ripeness, taste very well. Sweet, almost like raisins. Not like blueberries. And the blossom (coming right now, halfway April) is wonderful!

[@CardsbyMaaike]

looking good. it's not chickweed it's what we call veldkers or landcress I suppose, it's edible though, taste of radish but over here it's already going to seed and they can reseed 4times each season, I liked them in salades in winter , but can't eat it fast enough

[@LizZorab]

Thank you. Yes, those little weeds are going to seed already here too.

[@fionamcgregor4268]

I love the hoops on your beds. Could you tell me where you got them.

[@bewoodford2807]

Oh Liz, I feel for you that a vole ate your beetroots - a little wood mouse ate my sweetcorn mini pop seedings the night before last. I only transferred them from the house to the greenhouse in the day time and they were gone by the next morning. Little mouse caught in a humane trap and freed in thr fiels opposite.Just reson today- let's hope when i put them out that no little mouse is residong in my greenhouse and Imy seedlings grow on in time to plant out!

[@LizZorab]

I comforted myself with the thought that the vole was probably surprised at the bright colour of its poo after eating that lot!

[@bewoodford2807]

@@LizZorab Ha ha- love it!

[@francesbatycki404]

All these gardeners designing trays etc should put their heads together and develop a proper label system and something that lasts for the season, at least. I’ve used those ‘won’t fade in the sun’ pens and all I can say is… not so true.

[@LizZorab]

I now use a pencil on the labels and it works well unless they are left facing the sun - so the few that I had tucked into the pots or ground with the writing hidden were fine. This year I'll try to be more careful about keeping the writing face down.

[@neverwise]

The Staedtler gardening pen works for me, have you tried it?

[@francesbatycki404]

@@neverwise - I bought a couple from west coast seeds, and I hope they work. I have some big green plastic labels and I used ordinary felt marker on those for spud buckets last year. The plastic must differ somehow because that ink won’t come off! Lol!

[@francesbatycki404]

@@neverwise - the WCS ones claim to not fade, but we’ll see.

[@marionbolwell9276]

Alitags with lead pencil last for yrs and you can reuse them, we used them in the horticultural industry, also there are black carbon labels you ‘scratch’ the name on we also use these for stock plants.

[@darrenwilkinson4348]

Liz you look cold lol….I’m just trying to sow as much as I can even though it’s still bloody chilly up here in Northumberland…plus my wife has took on an allotment as well or should I say me lol…I’m busy sowing for 2 allotments now…

[@LizZorab]

It is pretty cold still and since I had covid in February, I'm finding it really hard to regulate my body temperature (I'm cold pretty much all the time). Exciting to have another plot to grow on!

[@davegilford1257]

Great tour thanks 👍. Why do they periodically change the botanical names? Just as a gentle reminder......"So, wherever you are and......." (I miss that 👍😂👍)

[@LizZorab]

I miss that too, but most people clicked away as soon as I started saying it and that damages my stats with KZbin who then didn't promote the video as much.

[@davegilford1257]

@@LizZorab Right, I understand now 👍. But I do still miss it 👍👍👍

[@Hartverwarmend]

Hello Liz and thank you for the April garden tour. I would like to ask the name of the plant that you mentioned after you talked about the purple kale plant...it is a spikey plant that grows tall with pink flowers...Aramira...or something like that? ..I would love to know the correct name please. Thank you.

[@LizZorab]

It's an Eremurus robustus, otherwise known as a foxtail lily (it's not actually a lily though).

[@Hartverwarmend]

@@LizZorab Ahh, thanks a million. I will look it now to read up more about this plant 🌸👍🙏

[@kellyerens962]

Heey lizz I have a question. Can you move garlic plants too I heard you talking about wanting to move the ornamental aliums. Well I planted garlic last year and now we are changing the garden and they are in the wrong place 🙈 but I don't want them to die either. Do you have any advice move them or leave them ?

[@LizZorab]

Just moved a load of mine. Have started to film about it, but wanted to wait for the harvest to show it to everyone. If they are in the way, move them, what do you have to lose?

[@kellyerens962]

@@LizZorab Thank you for your response. I'm just going to try it indeed. I was afraid of losing my whole east. Am a beginner and don't know how sensitive garlic is for that

[@kamilfrancoolczak]

I Find pencils are good instead of pens for labels

[@LizZorab]

I use pencils for labels, but even so, the sun and rain removes it.

[@kamilfrancoolczak]

@@LizZorab :)