During March a team of volunteers from Acara The Lesotho House build Charity built two keyhole gardens in the Walled Garden@Dunsland.

The photo below shows what was built.

The Keyhole Gardens built by the Acara Volunteers in the Walled Garden@Dunsland

The principle of these gardens is quite simple. They are designed so that a household can be self sufficient in fruit and vegetables and at the same time compost their own green waste.

They are built as you can see in the photo using stone around the outside in a keyhole shape allowing access to the inner core which is where you dump your green waste to break down.

A layer of soil is added followed by a layer of wood ash, more soil, composted waste, a few tin cans and more soil.

I set some seeds in one of these beds about a week after they were constructed. Namely radish, leek, tomatoes, peppers and Brussels sprouts. Within days I was beginning to see some growth.

The first of the veg seeds (radishes) germinate in the Acara keyhole garden in the Walled Garden@Dunsland

The second bed, which I had not got around to suddenly became alive with seedlings which turn out to be poppy seeds which had been lying dormant in the soil. I decided to leave them in the bed for this year and await their full colour display. After all they could have been lying dormant in the soil for upto 300 years just waiting for their chance to shine.

One of the Keyhole Gardens with an abundance of Radishes to the front

Chili Peppers and other edible wonders growing in the Acara Keyhole Garden in The Walled Garden@Dunsland

The MArigolds are planted as a companion plant to keep aphids and other pests at bay