A 'warrior' garden layout

The kitchen garden layout makes an icon of a warrior with spear.

The layout started this way because of a bench positioned at the side of the garden, and the dozens of self-seeded pot marigolds from last year that were sprouting up all over the garden.

We didn't want to lose the marigolds, and did want to make the view from the bench the best in the garden. We transplanted all the marigolds to a semicircle in front of the bench, so that in full bloom there would be a mass or orange right in front (orange is said to be a healing colour). Also, and this was the original reason for them being there, marigolds are a good companion plant in the vegetable garden; grown around tomatoes and peppers to repel black and green flies.

Pot marigold extract is widely used in cosmetics. Calendula officinalis (pot marigold) ointment is used in the treatment of skin disorders, for pain, and as an antiseptic. Also, pot marigold petals sre good in salads.

We flattened a path around the marigold semicircle, and made another one up from it to the edge of the garden, as well as another right across the patch.

A lot of potatoes, still buried from last year (though I dug the garden over well), were growing, so we moved them all into a patch over on one side.

We made another, smaller, semicircle at the top, cut through by the path, and planted wheat, bought as duck feed, and red poppies (for a mini meadow or mini 'fields of Flanders').

We had proposed to harvest the wheat, grind it and make bread (with the poppy seed on top) - all as an experiment. We intended, also, to be baking the bread in an earth oven that we've made. But too much rain, and too-close planting, damaged the crop, so it'll have to be done next year.

The garden was planted with seedlings we had grown on in the greenhouse, as well as seeds planted directly in the garden. The seeds we used were from a variety of sources: some collected from last year's crops, a few packets bought in sales and some seeds left in packets bought last year - a miscellany. The idea was to use up any seeds we had around before buying any new ones, and even then to leave it up to fate a bit, seeing what presented itself in a sale, or stuck on a gardening magazine cover.

We used a few seeds collected from last year and were well-pleased with the results, so we've bought some brown paper bags off ebay, and are collecting seeds when they're ready on the plants.

This is how the planting was laid out:

Planting started.

One month ago.

Today.

Once more, a photo of the lovely 'Black Magic' sunflower.