Our nursery at Belper Lane End is now open for 2025 and we have had a great first couple of weeks of opening!
Today, the sun made an appearance, more than just a cameo. It was over 20 degrees in our small polytunnels, with plants growing and hopefully, seeds germinating. Spring is in the air.
We had a steady flow of customers, buying peat free compost, biochar, and perennial vegetables.
February has been much busier than expected. Our bareroot sale was a great success! It’s the best way all round to get plants – we don’t have to use time and compost to pot them, the plants are happy to be transplanted so should establish and grow on well.
Participating in the Great Northern Fruit Moot and telling the story of Earthed Up! was good fun and made new connections. Another good sales day too.
We really appreciate everyone that’s supported us by buying plants, tubers, and compost over winter.
A garden is for Life
I’ve been saying for years that we need more people to garden in winter. It’s a busy time to get infrastructure sorted for the following year. Water systems, path upgrades, hard landscaping. Of course a great time to observe and design too.
We’ve seen this winter that many people are paying attention year round. I love that!
Dom and I have been busy, honestly busier than expected, most weeks through the winter, with a good number of gardening jobs. It’s included restoration pruning over a dozen veteran apple trees in 4 different gardens. It’s hard work. And it’s necessary to help the trees live longer, continue to bear fruit, and keep their stewards happy and safe living around them.
We’ve had good company with several swooping red kite spottings, squeaky Great Tits, and the omnipresent slumbering ladybirds ready to feast on aphids before too long.
And we’ve been so fortunate with the weather – it’s not actually been that wet. Although, I think that’s a case of shifting baselines because it’s rained plenty.
It’s taken a toll on our bodies, with an injured knee and lingering cough. We’ve been a team member down in 2025 for totally understandable reasons. So, we have stepped up to cover the work. And adapted by being pragmatic and communicating openly to do what’s best for us.
Thank you to those that entrust their garden care to us.
Start at your back door
That’s a permaculture idiom. And one that can serve you well in working sustainably.
“You start with your nose, then your hands, your back door, your doorstep. You get all that right, then everything is right. If all that’s wrong, nothing can ever be right” – Bill Mollison
At Earthed Up!, as a workers co-operative we are about more than just plants and gardens.
Our vision: With our contribution, people are enabled to regenerate land that they have stewardship over, and themselves.
We are jumping into the next phase of making more of this happen. We will be supported by Co-operatives UK’s Business support. Supporting fair and ethical business in partnership with The Co-operative Bank. An expert will work with us to plan and to overcome challenges. Thanks for that support!
An agroecological plant nursery
Each year, our small garden changes. We moved things around, tweaking the layout and improving how it all works together.
With thanks to tens of generous people, in 2023 we crowdfunded for our second polytunnel, finished around Easter 2024, which is proving to be a real asset. It’s our sales tunnel and a great propagation space.
Then, somehow in late autumn we found a window of time to reskin the other (original) tunnel.
We’ve prioritised growing. Growing the organisation and growing plants. We grow all our own plants (apart from fruit trees from Sheffield Fruit Trees). We’re making perennial edible plants more accessible locally.
We’re pleased to welcome Kate back into the team; she worked with us last summer and came back this February to help evolve the nursery to the next stage.
What we’re working on over the next month will upgrade the nursery, particularly the sales area. Increased water storage, revamped coldframes for growing on cuttings, benches to display many more plants.
There will always be more work to be done but this feels important now to set us up for our busiest year yet. There will always be piles too because piles are good, we’re a working garden. Piles of reclaimed timber, piles of brash, piles of potential.
Visit, see what we’re growing
Earthed Up! is growing. Through co-operation, considered permaculture design, and small and slow solutions, we are developing a thriving agroecological plant nursery.
Come see what we’re doing – expect there to be work in progress. The place is different every day, it’s natural.
We are open Fridays and Saturdays 10-2. We are also standing on Wirksworth and Belper markets.
Our team is growing too – if you’re interested in working with us as a gardener, please get in touch.
Earthed Up! 