Casa San Lorenzo: A New Start
Having recently being offered the opportunity to develop the kitchen garden for the Scottish café and Centotre I can barely contain my excitement.
The garden is a long piece of land with a south, south-west aspect. Although a little overgrown it holds huge potential to be both highly productive and attractive to the adjacent house.
Our first task is to have the soil analysed for pH and nutrient levels so that we know what we are working with, and if necessary, how to improve it. The garden will also require to be gently terraced to produce several flatter areas on which to grow. Once this has been achieved the really exciting part can begin. Deciding what to sow and plant!
The chefs are currently drawing up their wish list of crops and the quantities that they are likely to use. From this a production plan can be created to allow the annual crops to be rotated yearly and the perennial plants (various fruits and a few vegetables) to establish in permanent beds.
Of course, there are still many other things to be decided like tools, equipment and selecting the right cultivars. Not just to provide healthy, productive plants, but to produce the best flavoured fruits and vegetables.
Meanwhile there is plenty of digging!
Erica Randall
Head Gardener, Casa San Lorenzo
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