September Garden Competition.

Throughout September we have been running a photo competition. Any photos garden related. Somehow the competition found its way onto the Money Saving Expert website, and we had lots of delightful entries. It has been super difficult to pick a winner, but we have. Tracy Astwood sent us two pictures from her allotment. She wins a Simon’s Seeds goody bag.

Tracy Astwood. Winner.

Tracy Astwood. Winner.

All the entries were excellent. And we will try to feature them all.

Dr Karen Hambley.

If you would like to have a go for the month of October, then please go to the competition page at the end of this blog. We have seen some beautiful specimens of vegetables and flowers. With the economy as it is I think even more people will have no choice than to start to grow their own. Every single week I go to do the shopping the prices have gone up.

Frances Heaton.

I always try and urge people to have a grow. Even growing a small amount can take the pressure off a family’s shopping budget. I had an unexpected visitor over the weekend. My office is a small brick built room outside the main house. I had left the door open unusually late. My wife locked it up about 11pm. I opened up in the morning and I did notice a trail of twigs etc. Being half asleep I didn’t think much of it.

Mary Heald.

But I then started to hear a rustling sound. I investigated and under my work bench in a corner a hedgehog was making himself very much at home. We managed to get him near some thick undergrowth and wood. But oh no he wasn’t having any of that nonsense. He has taken up residence in one of my strawbales just near my office. And is very happy.

Suzanne Griffiths. Courgette leaf.

Happy gardening. The link for the competition page is here.

Strawbale Gardening Roadshow 2022

Hello. the strawbale gardening roadshow 2022 is now finally taking shape. I am looking forward to meeting new people who are keen to find out about this method. We will be kicking off in Lincoln with other dates to follow. I am planning to run them up until March 2023. We will not on reflection be reserving the Albert Hall, or even the NEC. Yet!. No we will rather be residing in smart small halls, comfy and clean lounge bars of local pubs and even school halls.

Whats on the Itinerary?

The best way to describe it is the journey of a virgin strawbale, to a fully fledged growing platform. We will be displaying strawbales in various stages of the method. These will be accompanied by many photos and diagrams detailing sowing and planting, strawbale systems and which is right for you, the top ten vegetables to grow in SBs and how to grow them, my maturing schedule, and much more.

It will be a very informal meet. I will of course be on hand to greet and talk in a one to one environment. There will be the chance to purchase my best selling e-book and DVD on strawbale gardening. I will have the full selection of my own range of seeds. Plus all my new growing kits. All at roadshow prices. Everybody is welcome. It is a great school project so any teachers please come along. Due to the height of the strawbale its great for people with mobility issues.

Please tell us your area and register your interest here.

I look forward to meeting you.

Simon.

Strawbale Success.

Hello. I am amazed at how many people are trying the strawbale gardening method. I now have mail from all over the world. Like anything it takes a bit of getting used to, but when mastered most people find it very productive. It is a form of container gardening and the strawbale is your container. It is not just veggies that love straw, oh no, try herbs and flowers to. It is a no soil needed method. So have your strawbale garden on you lawn, your patio, balcony, drive. Invite your friends around for a bbq and you will be the talk of the neighborhood. A bale garden looks great. I know people that keep one strawbale outside the back door and pull fresh lettuce and tomatoes for a salad. Likewise i hear from folk who have massive twenty bale systems. You can grow on the surface of the strawbale and also vertically.

A three bale system.

What vegetables can we grow in straw? Well pretty much everything. My real favourites are runner beans, onions, peas, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, marrows, cauliflowers and potatoes. Potatoes love strawbales. Pick a variety not available in shops. My favourite is pink fur apple, a small tasty salad potato. The most important part in setting up a strawbale garden is what I call the “maturing” process. Put simply this is when you encourage the bales to start the composting process by adding water and a nitrogen base feed in varying amounts over a period of time. I have devised my own maturing schedule that lasts about seventeen days. When that time is up, the bales should be ready to plant and or sow in. Due to the height of the bales this method is ideal for people with mobility issues. Likewise because you can site your garden on concrete it is very wheelchair friendly. No sharp tools needed so its great for children, or as a classroom project. I hope this has whetted your appetite and you will give it a grow. I am organizing some zoom workshops. I have also written an e-book on the subject. Please take a look here. Thanks.

Good growing.

Simon.

You Can't Eat Bricks and Mortar.

Are we in danger of not being able to feed ourselves.

The title of this blog was a quote from a speech a Lincolnshire Councillor made at a recent meeting. She was referring to farmland being used by developers to build on. In this case it was particularly aimed at solar farms. Apparently when the panels come to the end of their life the land is infertile. That’s the thing though, we need land for housing, but we must be able to feed ourselves. I live in Waddington which is situated on the edge of the famous Viking Way in Lincolnshire. I have seen a great increase of land locally being eaten up by developers. And farmland does not come much better than Lincolnshire land. If this is happening all across the country then it is very worrying. There has to be a measured approach to land use. How much farmland has been destroyed in the last ten years? Once it is gone you cannot get it back. People need houses of course but a balance must be struck.

The Lowdown on Growing Spuds in Strawbales.

One of my favourite vegetables to grow in straw has got to be potatoes. The sheer delight in breaking open a whole bale and the spuds tumbling out is magic. I will tell you my secrets for getting a bumper crop. Firstly get your bale maturing. This means getting the strawbale to start the composting process. When this process has finished the bale is good to plant or sow in. Pick what variety of potato you want. I go for one of the smaller unusual types. My personal favourite is the pink fur apple. A delicious salad potato with a delightful mottled pink skin. You are best to “chitt” your seed potatoes before planting them.

Potatoes “chitting”

This simply means getting the potato to sprout before planting. Leave them out in a cool light space. Allow them to grow a few sprouts from the specs on the potato and you are good to go. Now, you will notice on a strawbale that there are two lengths of twine running horizontally around the bale. These are fastened on by the bailing machine. This is one of the few times I advise to take them both off. As the strawbale has been “matured” it is very pliable. So make some deep holes with a dibber and start to remove the straw.

Make deep holes for the potatoes.

As deep as you can. You should be able to get at least six to eight on the top of the bale. Also put a couple along the sides which is not easy but it is possible. Put a good handful of quality compost in and if you want a few chicken manure pellets. Place the seed potato in the hole with the chits facing upwards. The straw that you took out you can now push back in. Firm down and water well. When they emerge and are getting tall earth them up by mounding compost around the stems. That is about it. A great way to grow potatoes on any surface. If you would like the full information about strawbale gardening please purchase my e-book. The Strawbale Gardeners Handbook Volume 1. It has everything you need to know. Including my own “maturing” schedule, planting and sowing, my favourite vegetables and how to grow them, different strawbale systems, what to do with “tired” bales and much more. And throughout the book there are my own “top tips”. This can be purchased here.

Happy Gardening.

Simon.

The book.

Get Out and Grow.

Hello from a windy but bright Viking Way. I do the family shop every week and every week just lately I come out with less in my carrier bags. Add to this the energy price increases its little wonder people are having to choose to eat or heat. But its great to see people who have never before given “grow your own” a thought using the space they have so ingeniously. People approach me in my local watering hole and ask me all sorts of questions on gardening which I endeavour to answer. The interest in strawbale gardening has never been greater. I did a small piece on BBC radio Lincolnshire last week which went well. Its not for everyone, but it definitely has its place. It is just a form of container gardening. I am putting together some zoom workshops for next month. If you are interested in these please let me know. I will be demonstrating the method in some detail. Its not simply a question of pushing a few seeds in to the bale. You need to prepare the strawbale to receive the seeds and or plants. As I have said before, most vegetables will grow in straw. Talking to fellow strawbalers the most popular seem to be runner beans, onion, garlic, potato’s and tomatoes. I planted some garlic in three bales in January and it seems to be doing fine. If you are interested in trying strawbale gardening and cannot wait for my workshops then please have a look at my e-book. I hope the weather settles so we can all get out and grow.

Good gardening.

Simon.

Old Friends, Ukraine and Strawbales.

The Lincolnshire Ent.

Hello from a calm day on the Viking Way. I used to go walking at Whisby Nature Reserve with my good friend Mel every Tuesday without fail. He is something of an expert in all things nature. With the outbreak of Covid this had to stop. The sudden death of a dear and mutual friend saw us reminiscing in the local public house. The outcome was that we vowed to resume our forays into the wild. There is so much to see on the reserve. Masses of birdlife obviously, but so much more than that. Initially when we went out I was looking, but not seeing. He taught me to be inquisitive. I started to take photographs of what I saw. Mostly with a mobile phone. Mel was so impressed with my efforts he has ten or twelve of them hung in his front room. I hope you like these few. Now we have the taste of freedom again I intend to make up for lost time.

Fly Agaric.

Do you know what this is?

We can all see the terrible reports coming in from Ukraine. It is truly heart-breaking. I have my own small business, I am a one man band so to speak. Not a massive multi-national. So I wondered how I could possibly help. Well the sunflower happens to be the Ukraine national flower. Having just released a sunflower kit I have decided to donate £1.00 from every kit sold to the DEC the Disaster Emergency Committee. Its not a lot in the scheme of things but every effort helps. You can see these here

The Giant Yellow.

Strawbale gardeners are gearing up for the main growing season. Bales are being hunted down. Seeds and plants ordered. Back at the Viking Way base I have been gently pushing my e-book on the subject. But to my surprise its seen a massive rise in popularity in America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. From permaculture groups and “prepper” groups as well as gardening groups. So much so that I have put together a taster YouTube video explaining about the method. Its not up there with the 007 franchise, but I think it will suffice. If you wish you can view it here

That is all for today. Good gardening.

Simon.

Putting Up A Polytunnel So It Will Not Budge.

The polytunnel has stood the test of time.

The last couple of storms came and went. But I don’t think I have ever seen so many greenhouses and polytunnels damaged and destroyed. It is such a shame. Someone’s hard work ruined. The tunnels available from the major suppliers are wonderful. But not everyone can afford the outlay, especially with the price of just about everything going up. But it is possible to buy a polytunnel for under £100 and put it up so that it will stay up. A couple of years ago my son and I spent a day in July getting one up. I live on the edge of the Viking Way in Lincolnshire and so it does get windy. We think we covered all the bases in securing it. I hope this YouTube program I have put together helps. Please view the programme here

Good Gardening

Simon.

Strawbale Gardening In Our Schools.

Hello. Its a windy day on the Viking Way. I have four strawbales left over from last year. They are still in good condition, so I think I will fill them all with some garlic I have left over. I intend to put eight bales in the polytunnel this year and grow chilli’s, tomatoes and courgettes in them. Have you given strawbale gardening a try yet? I have been asked several times this week about sourcing the bales. People seem to be under the impression that they are difficult to find. A bit of detective work usually turns up a local supplier. My fine local farm shop in Waddington and a local farmer are my sources. If you have a local farmer, ask him. Failing that a quick search on Google might help. More and more schools I am glad to say are teaching their children about growing vegetables. Strawbale gardening is great as a school project. The method is so very well suited to this, because you don’t need soil so you can have the strawbale veg garden on concrete or grass. Also their are no sharp tools. Please tell your local school about this method. Armed with my e-book the children will soon be picking fresh runner beans and tomatoes. I am always available for advice through the website or at (strawbalevegukman@gmail.com).

Herblore

Roasted vegetables with rosemary

I was taught by my mother at a very early age how to use herbs to enhance the flavour of meals. Wouldn’t food be bland without them? Any serious garden should have a few. We all have our favourites. Mine are rosemary and sage. They are used in herbal remedies and always have been. Why would you not want a herb garden? To be able to step outside your back door and grab a handful of mint for your potatoes is magic. When you plant them in the garden they attract beneficial insects and help repel the nasties, so they play a big part in companion planting. In the picture I have roasted different types of beetroot, garlic, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes. Drizzled some good oil over and sprinkled fresh rosemary, that grows in a chimney pot outside my tiny office. I will be creating a new area for herbs in my garden hopefully this year. If you haven’t already why not give herbs a grow this season?. I even have a starter collection which is organic and super value for money. Please take a look here. Thanks Simon.

STRAWBALE GARDENING 2022

This year has been taken up with bringing new products to the market. So my Strawbale gardening has been severely limited. I have however had many fabulous pictures of fellow strawbalers gardens. Also lots of enquires into the method. I will try to answer the most commonly asked questions here. Strawbale gardening has really taken off in the UK. When done properly it is a very rewarding method. This is a no dig way to grow. You can site your strawbale garden on almost any surface. Plus the height of the bales makes it good for people with limited mobility. You can grow most vegetables in straw. My favourites are potatoes, onions, beans, peas, marrows and tomatoes. Its great for small or odd shaped gardens because a bale can squeeze into an awkward corner or against an ugly wall. If you have a lovely summer barbeque then your Strawbale Garden will be the talk of the neighbours. Its obviously not simply a case of sowing some seeds into a bale. No its a bit more complicated than that. But its very doable. You need to mature the straw so that it is a perfect environment for your plants and or seeds to thrive. I have perfected my “maturing schedule” over many years to suit the UK climate. This is a vital part of strawbale gardening. This method is great for schools as there are no sharp tools needed and there is no need for an area of soil. If you fancy having a try at strawbale gardening please think about downloading my e-book “The Strawbale Gardeners Handbook Vol 1”. It is full of useful advice plus information on my how I mature the strawbales. You can download here. If you have a small backyard with no soil in sight, put a strawbale in place and grow lovely runner beans or tasty tomatoes. Please get in touch if you need any further information.

New Website.

Hello and welcome to my new website. It is still very much a work in progress. It has been a nightmare of a time trying to get the thing exactly how I wanted it. So I have done it myself. A while ago I was having a chat with a good friend over a pint. He was complaining that he had purchased a Chilli Growing Kit online and how expensive it was. And how disappointed he was with it. So I thought could I do better? I believe I have. I have released a Chilli Growing Kit which has six varieties of chillies, including the Carolina Reaper the worlds hottest. Then comes our Sunflower Growing Kit which has three varieties of sunflower including the giant yellow which can grow up to three meters tall, plus some runner bean seeds as companion plants. Lastly we have the Tomato Growing Kit which includes four great varieties, including the Knockout which can weigh up to 1.4kg. All of my kits come with everything you will need to get you growing. Please take a look here. They really do make fantastic gifts. I am adding new types of seeds all the time in our seed shop. Next time I will be talking about Strawbale Gardening in small spaces. Until then, keep safe and speak soon. Simon.

NO SOIL? NO PROBLEM.

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I have recently had quite a few first time house buyers contact me. They tell me they have not much room in their new garden, or have no soil, but want to grow some vegetables. I tell them no problem and explain the basics of Strawbale Gardening. You do not need soil. If you have a piece of ugly looking concrete then slap a strawbale on it and get growing. Its important you understand the dos and don’ts. Its not quite as simple as planting seeds or plants straight into a bale. But it us perfectly doable as thousands of people around the world will testify to from Manchester to Melbourne. In better times I run workshops which are a great hands on way to learn. I am getting some webinars organised soon. I have an instructional DVD and an e-book that tell you all you need to know. Now is an ideal time to start off a Strawbale Garden. Good gardening. PS Here is the link to my DVD AND E BOOK

APRIL COME SHE WILL!

We should now be well on the way with sowing seeds under cover. And now hopefully getting into some planting and sowing outside. I have just finished erecting my second polytunnel. Today I am mostly going to be wearing my business hat. We have introduced some fantastic April offers. But first a word about our Sunflower Kits.

This has really gone down a storm. Everything needed to grow a variety of beautiful sunflowers and a companion vegetable, We have been told many times just how much fun youngsters and adults are having with Sunflower growing competitions. Why not grab a kit here. We are also pleased to offer some great money saving deals. Here is an example.

Nine organic herbs from Strawbale Simons Seeds. Premium quality. The normal price for these would be at least £20.46. Strawbale Simons Spring offer is just £12.50 for the complete collection. We are a small British company so please do take a look at our many other offers HERE. Thanks so much. If you need any help whatsoever please get in touch with me via our get in touch page. You can be assured you will get through direct to me. Please keep an eye out for more offers throughout April.

ATTNETION ALOTTMENT GROUPS, CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS ETC

If you are lucky enough to have an allotment or a smallholding. If you belong to a gardening club or organisation. If you are a member of a social media group, then my new page could be of interest to you. We realise that your gardening needs might be different to the norm. I hope that we can help. Within he next few weeks we will be offering other services. Please take a look at our brand new page and let us know how we can be of service here. Thanks very much.

Simon and the team.

Strawbale Gardening 2021

I am so looking forward to straw bale gardening in 2021. I know from my correspondence that there are a lot of people trying the method for the first time. Here are a few pointers that might help you. Order your straw bales early, there are plenty of outlets all over the country. Visit your local farm, farm shops, pet stores and Google. Decide what you are going to grow. Think about the space you have available. I have five straw bales that were left out last year, I have not “matured” them, ( this is the process of getting the bales ready to grow in). I intend to make a block of them and grow runner beans and marrows in them. I have earmarked a large space that will give me all round access to them. You can fit a straw bale garden into most most spaces, be it soil, grass or concrete. You can grow most vegetables in straw bales, my TOP 10 are, onions, runner beans, marrows, potatoes, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, pumpkin and beetroot. Believe me, whatever space you have, be it a concrete backyard or a corner of grass, you can create your own straw bale vegetable patch. You will be the envy of your neighbours because a bale garden looks great. Do not be afraid to experiment. I will give you an example. When I first started out strawbale gardening, I was told growing sweetcorn was a big no no. That was like a red rag to a bull. So, the following year I grew a tray of GOLDEN HIND sweetcorn inside, and then over a period of ten days acclimatised them to the outdoor temperatures. Following that I planted them in some well “matured” straw bales. They thrived. So don’t be afraid to try something different. Flowers thrive in straw bales, so companion planting works as well. If you can afford a small investment may I suggest you purchase my new e-book here which will guide you to success. Happy, happy growing in 2021 Strawbale Simon.

Scarecrows Matter.

Back in the 70s John Pertwee created the lovable straw filled Worzel Gummidge. Now the amazingly talented Makenzie Crook has taken up the role. Now I will be the first one to speak out and say that Makenzie is a very fine actor. Think of The Office and the delightful series The Detectorists with another favourite of mine, Toby Jones. But I have to say that I still prefer John Pertwee. He was Worzel, with his amazing talent for voices and his mannerisms. He made it seem so effortless to bring a straw man to life. According to my research, scarecrows go back to Ancient Egypt where they used them when farming on the banks of the Nile. My first encounter with them was as a very young boy travelling up from Brighton to visit relatives in Lincolnshire for our annual holiday. The further North we progressed the more of these creatures we would see. Upon entering lovely Lincolnshire they were everywhere. Staring at us from behind crumbling stone walls or in the middle of a crop filled field. They were always busy, rain or shine. More recently on many visits to Cornwall we have passed through delightful villages where the inhabitants have set the scarecrows to all manner of tasks from speed cop to fisherman. I don’t like to admit this but it must have been some 25 years ago, my sister in law and I were almost lost in the Lincolnshire Wolds, looking for an obscure little farmhouse. A sweltering hot day with not a soul about. We pulled over and I volunteered to go and ask the chap tending his tractor in the nearby field. Now my eyesight has never been fantastic due to an accident when I was a toddler. Well, that’s my excuse. I was well into the field when I realised it was one of our straw friends. I can just imagine a rustic old farmer hiding behind a hedge guffawing and saying “stupid baxxxxx”. But, where are they all now. A few on farms, a few more on allotments. But not as many as in my youth. They are definitely an endangered species. A job for David Attenborough perhaps?.

Sow a seed, grow a world.

Welcome to a really grey overcast day on the Viking Way. This will be my last blog of the year. A year I’m certain most of us want to get over with as quickly as possible. A vast amount of people have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time , which is great. I did a post on a Facebook page last week, telling people about Strawbale Gardening and the response was really good. If you do not know about this method, I will give you a brief rundown now. Not everyone is lucky enough to have soil to grow in. With this method you don’t need soil as you plant and sow into the Strawbales. Meaning that you can site your vegetable garden on almost any surface. Concrete, grass etc. Another advantage is that there is no weeding. And whatever size or shape the space is that you have, a Strawbale Garden will slide in nicely. For a long time now those who wanted to learn this great method had to use information from overseas. But, I now have a DVD and an e-book produced in the UK. Please take a look here.

A compact three strawbale system.

The above system is very compact. You can grow vertically as well as on the surface of the strawbales. Believe me, you can grow a surprising amount of produce in a Strawbale. I am so pleased that I now have my new online seed shop up and running, alongside my “Chilli Vault” where you can purchase a variety of chilli seeds from mild to volcanic. We will be constantly adding new seeds as well as helpful information. I hope you will take a look. I am pleased to say we have used British companies in all aspects of setting up our seed operation. From seed supplies to quality foil seal bags to technical help. Thanks to all concerned. Why not have a peek at the shop and “Chilli Vault” here.

Strawbale Simons Chilli Vault.

All our seeds come with information on companion planting. So if you buy some cabbage seeds, we will tell you what other vegetables you should plant with them, also what flowers and herbs will be beneficial to have around them. All of course will be available instore.

If you have any suggestions and or comments, please drop me a line here. Its been a very hard year for us all. I do hope next year will be much better. Have a happy and safe Christmas. Kind Regards Simon.

Success with Strawbale Gardening.

Hello to you all on the first day of this the second national lockdown. Its going to be harder for some than for others, so if you know of anyone that is finding it especially difficult then please give them a ring and keep in touch. Anyway news from the Viking Way. I was contacted this week by Cat Nettles who lives near Skegness, she informed me of the great success she is having with StrawBale Gardening. She informed me “ there are a lot of tree stumps in my garden which make it nearly impossible to dig over”, so, she looked for another method. Cat found the StrawBale Gardening method on the internet but she says “it was mostly based in America”. She describes finding my website as “ a lightbulb moment”. She thought, “ well if this chap Simon can do it where he lives, then I can to”. Her technique was using my method and boy has she enjoyed success. She says she has had masses of tomatoes and peas. And the brassicas have thrived. I have attached some pictures she kindly sent me. Thanks so much Cat for your endorsement of the StrawBale method which is really starting to catch on this side of the pond. Its a win win situation, no weeds, and if like Cat your access to soil is limited, them this way of gardening will suit you down to the ground, literally. So many people I speak to are wanting to have a go at growing vegetables. There are so many good reasons why you should. Don’t be put off if you have no soil, or an odd shaped garden. If you live in an inner-city area and maybe just have a slice of concrete, no worries. Use my method and get growing. Speak soon and keep safe Simon.