Giving more than I take

The aim is a plot where almost nothing leaves and almost nothing needs buying in — the soil fed by what the plot itself produces.

Sustainability on a plot this size isn’t grand. It’s a handful of small loops that each save a little waste, a little money, or a little water — and quietly add up over a season.

Compost: the engine of the plot

Three bays, side by side. One I’m filling, one is cooking, one is ready to use. Kitchen scraps, spent plants, cardboard and grass clippings go in; six months later, dark crumbly soil comes out.

Water off the roof

The shed roof feeds two water butts, and that’s most of my watering through the drier months. I water deeply and less often so the roots chase the moisture down, and mulch the beds to keep what’s there from evaporating by lunchtime.

The wider loops

Loops that work

• Three-bay compost
• Rainwater harvest — two butts
• Seed saving
• No-dig beds
• Green manure over winter

Still working on

• A leaf-mould bin
• Comfrey feed
• Peat-free everything
• Plastic-free module trays