With an abundance of time at home on our hands, it’s estimated over half of British adults have engaged in some form of gardening in the last six months, according to The Horticultural Trade Association. In the week before lockdown, sales of plants, seeds and bulbs spiked, making them almost as hard to come by as toilet rolls!

It’s not surprising that during a turbulent few months many of us have turned to slow living and more mindful activities like gardening to keep ourselves going and give us a sense of purpose. The regular maintenance required for gardening (such as watering, clipping and feeding) also provides a way to break up some of the monotony of time at home.

Fellow City Girl Sophie Ebling put together a two part guide earlier in the year showing you how to spruce up your outdoor space. Now the weather has turned, I want to show you how you can use that space to create your own tiny slice of The Good Life. 

People often think about growing their own fruits and vegetables when the weather is already warm but this can often be too late to see any immediate return on your gardening efforts. October can be a great time to get out there in the crisp autumn air to lay the foundations for a fruit(and veg!)ful 2021.

The Royal Horticultural Society offers a month by month guide to harvesting and sowing which is great to consult if you’re not sure what you could be doing in the garden. Small herb plants such as rosemary, sage and thyme are great ways to get started as they are quite robust, low maintenance and you can start using them in the kitchen almost straight away to level up your Sunday roast potatoes. 

If the colder weather already has you dreaming of spring then begin preparations for a bright start to the year by planting daffodil bulbs. Chances are you’ll forget all about them over winter only to be surprised by a splash of colour come spring. Or, if you’re after something to help in the kitchen, autumn is a great time to plant garlic bulbs that will be ready for the summer. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have any ground space to plant bulbs or seeds, everything I’ve mentioned can be planted in beautiful pots and placed either on a balcony, patio or even window sill. Just make sure they are deep enough for the roots to properly form and they get the right amount of sunlight. 

Alternatively, you could take the plunge into keeping some animals in your outdoor space...

HOW TO KEEP CHICKENS IN YOUR GARDEN

Most of us don’t have acres and acres of land to raise cattle or sheep, however, you can take a baby step into The Good Life with chickens. I have two silkie chickens in my garden (pictured with my Golden Retriever) and as well as producing fresh eggs for breakfast, they also make great low maintenance pets. To decide if chickens are right for you there are a few things you should know about them first.

SPACE

Chickens like company so it’s advised that you keep at least two. As a rule, chickens need two square feet of floor space in the coop with one foot of perch per bird and at least twice as much in the run. I found that difficult to visualise so here is the one that I have in my garden for reference.

HENS STILL MAKE NOISE 

If you don’t fancy a dawn chorus it’s a good idea to stick to hens. But don’t be fooled, hens still like to let you know they are there, especially after laying an egg. So, if you have neighbours very close by, it’s something to consider to avoid complaints.

MAINTENANCE

In terms of time and upkeep, I would compare keeping chickens to keeping a rabbit. They do like to have your attention sometimes to keep them entertained. They need cleaning out once a week as well as fresh water and food daily. You’ll also need to remember to collect eggs daily to avoid bringing on a bout of broodiness. Other than that they are pretty happy to go about their business as you go about yours. 

If you decide that hens are for you, make sure you do your research to find a reputable breeder in your area, or better still, lots of farms offer older hens free to adoptive forever homes. 

The benefits of spending time outdoors are well known so even if you aren’t lucky enough to have access to your own outdoor space you could spend the day pumpkin picking at a local farm or volunteering at a community garden. Whatever you do this Autumn, I’d encourage you to put on a cosy jumper and get some fresh air because even City Girls can be Country Girls, if just for the weekend.  

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Written by Ali Critchley

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