The herbaceous borders here at Rydal present to the curious gardener a ranging tapestry of potential, offering good deep soil, shallow stony silt and in places substantial areas of bedrock that sit only a spades depth beneath the existing soil. This means that substantial amounts of new topsoil will have to be added to build up the shallowest parts.

Peter, one of the team working here on the restoration of the hard landscaping and garden infrastructure, spent much of the week with a jackhammer breaking up bedrock beneath the new drainage system. This installation as part of the improvements to the western herbaceous borders on the main terrace will be completed early this week (weather permitting).

I've managed to source a small supply of horse manure for use in the formal garden as well as the development of the vegetable gardens. However, I'm keen to know if there might be similar sources in the vicinity of Rydal, therefore if anyone has a growing pile they'd be keen to disperse, please contact me here at Rydal.

One of the most exciting aspects to any restoration, for myself and the team here at Rydal, is the clearing of forgotten areas that can once again be brought back to life. The neck-high wilderness of the vegetable garden has been given its final clearance prior to the serious soil clearing and basic terracing to be done over the winter.

I have decided to use a non-chemical approach to the major task of clearing the weeds and grass. Once the soil mechanics have been dealt with I intend to cover i.e. suppress the green stubble until the early spring. This should be long enough to kill off the worst offenders and significantly weaken the most persistent perennials. When the weather permits it, we will turn over the soil using a rotivator and hand forks incorporating large quantities of well-rotted horse manure and compost.

Planting potatoes in the freshly turned soil will be the next stage in improving the soil structure. These tuberous plants are a fantastic tool in breaking up compacted soil for future crop growth. I'm confident that this approach will work in a soil that was manured and cultivated extensively in the past, something obvious when you turn over the most unprepossessing piece of ground.

This coming week I look forward to welcoming our first volunteers. I hope that the interest shown in both the formal garden areas and the creation of the vegetable garden will be the start of exciting times ahead and a new chapter in this gardens on-going use.