Gaz makes the most of his plot thanks to some great gardening heroes
My garden is typically Welsh – yes, I am on a hill! This can make things challenging when growing food, but there are pros, too. For example, my hill is south-facing so it does soak up the sun for a large portion of the day. Half of my garden is made up of raised beds that my dad and I built. To fill the beds, I used the HÜgelkultur method and so far my veg has been good. The method uses pieces of things such as wood, sticks and leaves added at the base of deep veg beds to bulk them out. And I feel that all of that organic matter has added great vitality to my beds.
I started a makeshift terraced garden last year and I apply no-dig principles here, mainly because I feel that it is the most convenient and straightforward way of growing. I was lucky enough to meet one of my heroes and a champion of no-dig, Charles Dowding, last year. I featured him on my YouTube food show, where I toured his perfect garden and cooked a dish that celebrated his love for carrots. Charles also shares his love of gardening on YouTube, as do other gardeners that have inspired me, such as Mothin Ali (My Family Garden), Huw Richards (GrowVeg) and Adam Jones (Adam yn yr ardd and Suburban Homestead).
I’ve discovered the joy and simplicity of creating compost at home, with the assistance of my adopted chickens, who live at the top of my hill. It’s surprising how effortless and cost-eective composting can be. My setup is a modest yet efficient pallet-bay system. Throughout the year, I add various organic materials: garden trimmings, kitchen scraps, the bedding from my chicken coop, cardboard and other organic matter – then I leave it to let nature to do its thing. Witnessing the transformation into rich, homemade compost is truly mind-blowing. It’s a great example of the natural cycle of life and sustainability.