³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

I thought I'd start with some history...My garden lies on the border twixt Suffolk and Norfolk. My family, on both sides, have lived here in the Waveney valley for many centuries; on mother's side I'm the fifth generation living in this village. Gardening and farming are in my blood and I soon took interest, especially in cherries, strawberries and raspberries!

I tended my first plot when very young and have rarely stopped since. My current empire is nearly three quarters of an acre/half a hectare on the southern side of the village still surrounded on all sides by other gardens creating seven adjacent and five more overlooking neighbours. So, as 'good fences make good neighbours' I maintain twelve foot native and leylandii hedges and rarely interact with them. Or indeed anyone else. For although not quite a recluse I'm so interested in my garden I'm out there too much of the time, and much to my wife's annoyance.

I originally desired to prove one can grow almost anything organically, and of course wanted to provide the finest comestibles for myself and family. However over the years this simple model has changed to more research and experimentation into unusual and controversial methods (particularly companion effects), to checking accepted ideas for veracity and to trialling as many varieties of edible and scented plants as I can find.

Ìý

My garden is not exactly 'run of the mill'. It's more of an experimental laboratory and over nearly thirty years some areas have been re-worked multiple times, though obviously major trees, sheds and forty raised beds have remained fairly constant. I'm fortunate to have space to conduct long term trials with dubious outcomes. Many unusual plants have been planted with hopes of hybridising improved fruits- such as the Sambucus canadensis (American elderberry), Sambucus caerula (blue elderberry), Xanthoceras sorbifolia (yellowhorn) (which has gorgeous edible flowers, leaves and nuts), (Nettle trees) and occidentalis.

Regrettably most uncommon foods are justly so - they're either difficult to crop or have poor palatability compared to established favourites.

, and evening primrose roots are good examples, all are edible in part but not that pleasing to many people's palate, though each to their own. Even with huge home production I'm not, and do not try to be, self sufficient - my crops of olives, oranges and coffee are supplemented from the shops as well as cereal and dairy products. However I do have hens for eggs and meat, and every so often raise crops of rabbit, duck and goose.

Ìý

Currently I've no bees losing them to a couple of years ago but will soon start again for that so delicious honey fresh from the comb.

Right now I'm busy fetching in the last harvests - there are some potatoes left to dig, beans to dry, seeds to save. Pears are ripening, currently I'm enjoying Beurre Hardy to excess whilst squeezing apples for juice and cider, and making fruit leather, but much more on these in my next post...

Bob Flowerdew is an organic gardener and panellist of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time

Photos by Peter Cassidy from Grow Your Own, Eat Your Own by Bob Flowerdew (Kyle Cathie, £14.99)