Walled Garden

Ecologically grown vegetables and flowers for Largo’s villages and beyond.

The Largo walled Garden team is currently headed by Bas with assistant Erin. Work first began in Spring of 2021 with team of three Kathy, Erin and Lindsey. Kathy and Lindsey have moved on to pastures new after 3 amazing years of hard work and garden transformation.

Bas and Erins’ on the ground activity is supported by the Monzie Estate team with guidance and direction from owners Alexandra and David Crichton plus extra help from Amanda in the office and sometimes in the garden!

 

Erin, Kathy and Lindsey in the Walled Garden, October 2021.

All of our produce is grown using ecological methods of production and without the use of chemicals in the unique setting of the Largo Estate Walled Garden. We aim to grow specialist produce that you wouldn’t find on the highstreet – think colourful carrots and beetroots and salad leaves with flavours you’ve never tasted before!

To cultivate we break the ground with tractor operated rotavator, plough and harrow to begin our plots, and then after this our bed system is aiming for no dig by not inverting the soil again (like the plough does) and tilling as minimally as possible. We use a board fork to aerate the soil when it becomes compacted which leaves the soil structure intact allowing it to take its natural form and ecosystem –  though sometimes we do need to dig out perennial weeds by hand!

Archie Finlay begins plough  work after rotavation, March 2021.

We introduce green waste compost to mulch the beds in order to suppress weed seed and we are developing our in garden composting system to feed the soils of the land. Our own compost is currently made up of crop residue generated from the garden and organic straw and manure from the Balcaskie Estate.

 

 Erin and Jenny (Head of Pest Control) work on distributing greenwaste compost to establish permenant beds, April 2021.

We use heat minimally to propagate our seedlings so our vegetables and flowers are grown within the limitations of Scotland’s climate! Plus the amazing benefits of the walled garden environment and a further helping hand from two polytunnels.

We aim to accredit with an organic certification body when we can, though already follow many of the associated practices.

 

 

 

 

 

 eedlings growing in the newly established no-dig bed system, June 2021.