{"id":22172,"date":"2020-05-21T22:53:47","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T21:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=22172"},"modified":"2020-05-22T08:34:21","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T07:34:21","slug":"how-to-start-a-vegetable-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/how-to-start-a-vegetable-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"How to (Re) Start a Vegetable Garden – Our Story on Instagram TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/h2>\n

(Re) Starting a Vegetable Garden<\/h2>\n

The COVID-19 global pandemic has been many things to many people bringing trauma, pain and heartbreak but also space and time for reflection as the world slows down. There’s not a day gone by during the past three months when we haven’t felt blessed to be living in the countryside, forgetful of the many inconveniences that can dwell alongside it. Living miles from anywhere yet\u00a0with a garden, albeit one that had become overgrown and unkempt from almost three years of neglect, has helped our mental health considerably during these difficult times.<\/p>\n

\"How

Encouraging biodiversity<\/p><\/div>\n

On the 11th March 2020, as for many of us living in Ireland around that time, our world changed. All of my work stopped for the foreseeable future in what was to be my busiest year to date. Five of us were living under the same roof again and as parents, not only did we have our own worries and concerns to deal with, but had to consider how a lock-in might affect our three offspring as all their physical social contacts were cut.<\/p>\n

New Skills<\/h3>\n

Luckily we had saved for and planned to make changes to our garden this year which included an entertainment area. As soon as it became apparent that garden centres and hardware stores were about to close and that fresh food shortages might develop, we threw ourselves into the work.\u00a0I was able to use the new garden design skills I’d learnt in the part-time Advanced Landscaping course<\/a> that I finished remotely in April. I also drew upon the personal experience gained of needing a low maintenance vegetable garden, and ensured we planned our space more efficiently whilst allowing habitats for biodiversity. Unexpectedly the kids got involved and helped to create new areas that far exceeded our own visions for relaxation.<\/p>\n

During this unexpected time at home, I’ve had the opportunity to pull all my recent years of learnings together and in doing so, I’ve been sharing them on my new Instagram TV channel with the idea that I can continue to educate remotely and hopefully help some of you. Unfortunately I don’t have the video editing skills for fancy how to video’s, nor the broadband to allow for Zoom or live screenings, but Instagram TV gave me the opportunity, usually to film in one take, what’s been going on in our garden, warts and all.<\/a><\/p>\n

All work, no play<\/h3>\n

It seems ironic that my hobby of growing vegetables at home, which turned into a working passion where I could help others start their own vegetable garden, became a monster that took me away from our own haven, where not a single seed was sown.<\/p>\n

On the one hand I’d be talking to groups about the importance of not loosing life skills, of growing and buying local food and of food security, and on the other, was lucky to spend an hour or two outside a week at home cutting the grass. COVID-19 has changed that. It has given us time to reconnect, rethink and refresh.<\/p>\n

I am thankful every day, not only that my friends and family have managed to keep their health, but to have had the time to spend in our garden and make the changes that were necessary. I hope that you have found the rewards that gardening and nature can bring too.<\/p>\n

The following links to a sample of several videos I’ve made that you can find on Instagram. You don’t need an account to view them. If you’ve been thinking of creating a vegetable garden, or are looking for some tips and ideas on growing vegetables, I hope they’ll be of help. You can find the full series here, but in the meantime, here’s a few tasters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Design a Vegetable Garden<\/h2>\n

I began with a practical session on How to Design a Vegetable Garden where I shared tips about how we planned to turn our lawn into a raised vegetable bed garden. There are more videos in the series that share how we did that, including the costings, soil and wood used.<\/p>\n

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Dee talks you through the process she uses to plan and design her raised bed garden<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Dee Sewell | Greensideup.ie<\/a> (@greensideupveg) on