This weekend I will be planting the next batch of ornamental edible plants around the campsite. I was inspired at last weekends Seedy Saturday in Lewes (see the photos), Sussex which had gathered together a host of interesting stands including Permaculture experts from the Brighton Permaculture Trust, the inspiring Craig Sams from his new business Carbon Gold, but best of all the brilliant Paul Barney from Edulis. Paul has supplied the campsite with lots of plants that you can eat over the last few years and it is always very uplifting once the plants arrive and the mouthwatering labels announce the exciting tastes that we and campers at The Secret Campsite are going to be able to enjoy as the plants mature over the coming years. Apart from the delicious flavours that we are looking forward to, the plants will also look fantastic, in particular the dramatic chinese dogwood Cornus kousa chinensis which has the most beautiful fruits. You can read more about their delicious taste by clicking on this link courtesy of Plants for a Future. Last year at The Chelsea Flower Show I helped Paul on his stand which was widely acclaimed by garden writers, broadcasters and designers. Paul was even interviewed by Alan Titchmarsh and Alys Fowler.
Once in the ground the plants will take a while before they start being very productive, but we will have quite a few for all of our guests at the campsite to have a nose at when they come camping here over the coming months. We have been landscaping the site using predominantly native edible plants, but this latest batch of plants includes, Hovenia dulcis, the Japanese Raisin Tree, Sorbus domestica, the Service Tree, Elaeagnus umbellata the autumn olive. None of these are natives so they will be planted in the garden area which I am going to have to fence to keep the rabbits out. This is also the area where we will be planting lots of herbaceous edible plants which campers down here in Sussex will be adding to their salads and making teas from. I’ll tell you more about these plants later in the year as we start to sow the seeds. Tonight I am off to the Village Hall to hear Nick Lear talk about Knowlands Wood which borders The Secret Campsite. Nick will be explaining how he has managed the woodland over the last 30 years, since moving to Sussex, to encourage wildlife. Earlier in the week I saw the Barn Owl fly round the campsite field so I think he he doing a great job.
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