A Living Landscape: How Our Garden Changes Through the Year
Every Season Tells a Story
Tucked behind high stone walls, Faldonside Eco’s Victorian Walled Garden is a place of quiet productivity, where each season brings new colours, crops, and ecological activity. As the heart of our permaculture growing system, the garden offers more than food — it provides a year-round lesson in working with nature.
Spring: Renewal & Early Harvests
In spring, the garden awakens. Polytunnels protect early salad crops, while fruit trees begin to bud. This is the time for sowing — heritage vegetables, companion flowers, and nutrient-boosting green manures all find their place. Birds and pollinators return, helping to establish a balanced ecosystem from the very beginning of the season.
Summer: Peak Production & Pollinator Activity
By summer, the garden is in full swing. Rows of vibrant lettuces, heritage tomatoes, courgettes, and edible flowers fill our baskets and local salad boxes. Insects hum busily between flowering herbs, helping our crops thrive without the need for chemicals. Visitors often comment on the colour, the scent, and the sheer life on display.
Autumn: Roots, Seeds & Soil Building
As the days shorten, our attention turns to storage crops, composting, and saving seed. Autumn is when we prepare the soil for the coming year — using green manures, mulch, and compost teas to keep the ground fertile. It’s a season of slower rhythms, reflection, and important behind-the-scenes work.
Winter: Rest & Regeneration
In winter, the Walled Garden rests. But beneath the surface, the soil is alive with microbial activity. We prune our fruit trees, plan next year’s planting, and review the growing calendar. Winter also offers a rare chance to appreciate the garden’s structure — its paths, beds, and shelterbelts — before they’re hidden again by growth.
Whether you visit in May or November, there’s always something happening here. The Walled Garden is open to visitors during certain events, workshops, and volunteer days — a chance to see first-hand how food, soil, and seasons are all connected.
Explore our upcoming Learning Events to visit the Walled Garden in action.
