Bright days, cold nights & beautiful autumn colours are breaking out all over. Tall grasses that have played a supporting role, become more noticeable in Autumn, as herbaceous plants begin to die back & the garden slides towards winter. It’s good to leave theses grasses in place & watch the changes as they develop […]
How to grow vegetables, fruit & herbs, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure
What To Do In The Garden In September
September in the garden is a pleasure. The weather is mild, the Miscanthus grasses are flowering, a couple of roses are flowering again & I’m harvesting spinach, runner-beans, courgettes & beetroot. The business of the summer garden is over & everything is slowing down. Whilst enjoying the garden now, we gardeners must look forward to […]
Growing Salad Leaves Through Winter – The Low-Down
Home grown salad leaves are one of the joys of growing your own vegetables, & there’s no need to stop at the end of summer So much cheaper than supermarket ones, you can choose to grow them organically, they have real flavour & don’t come wrapped in plastic, which means zero food miles, less waste […]
How To Avoid Watering Your Garden
We’re right in the middle of a summer heatwave here in the UK, which has meant soaring temperatures of at least 85 degrees on a daily basis, & no rain for weeks. The hot weather, which I love, has changed the way we do things. Food is lighter, & most of our meals are […]
What To Do In The Garden In July
July, what an interesting month you’ve been. Vegetables have been slow coming this year, what with the slugs that thwarted my early sowings & the lack of rain. There are pickings from our little vegetable garden every day now. Its always a thrill to nip down the garden for something fresh. Right now runner beans, […]
The War On Slugs
One of the joys of gardens is how the same one can vary from one year to the next, as new plants are added, & how the weather affects the size, shape & flowering of plants. Then there are the pests, which in my experience also vary a little each year. This year slugs […]
What To Do In The Garden In June
Here we are half-way through the year, with the longest day on the 21st. June celebrates the joy of gardening, the roses are at their best & there should be a few crops ready to harvest, In this scorching weather, its young plants & seedlings that need attention. Nurturing with just enough water to […]
What To Do In The Garden In May
May is such a lovely month in the garden. Vibrant, fresh growth, the promise of things to come, & all with a backdrop of the sweetest birdsong. But time is flying by, so here’s a reminder of just a few of the things that can be done, during the remainder of the month. Flowers: My […]
How To Grow Your Own Herbs.
Growing your own herbs is one of the easiest things to do for a more sustainable life-style, & fresh herbs straight from your garden, have so much flavour than bought ones. It’s not just about sustainability, there are many other good reasons: fresh, organic herbs a few steps from your kitchen the best tasting […]
What To Do In The Garden In March
I’m not a natural list maker, I have to fight the urge to just get on & do things, but, when I’ve made one, I immediately feel organised. They’ve become essential for gardening because it’s so maddening when you forget something … & have to wait until next year. Realistically, more than one list […]
The Garden In January
It’s a bright, cold day here, & if I wasn’t writing this, I’d be out in the garden, … honestly I would, because if you’re wrapped up well, it’s a fine place to be. January is the perfect time to get everything ready for the busy times ahead, because although it looks like everything is […]
What To Do In The Garden In October
I hope you’re enjoying the autumn colour, if you’re in this part of the world? It almost makes me happy that summer is over. I’ve got a whole list of things to do in the garden this month, there’s a mix of clearing out the remains of summer & preparing things for next year. Firstly […]
A Fabulous Garden Tucked Away In The Welsh Hills.
Arriving at Allt-y-bela feels a little like driving straight into a picture, perhaps because I know it so well from all the magazine pictures I’ve seen. Despite this familiarity, it’s an impressive arrival, after driving a mile or so down a track. We’d booked a couple of nights bed & breakfast here at the country […]
What To Do In The Garden In August.
August is a busy, productive month in the garden. The vegetable garden is at full tilt & we’re realising the fruits of our labours, picking vegetables for our dinner most evenings this month. So far we’ve had courgettes, spinach, beans & purple podded peas. The latter have been finally weakened by mildew, but I’d definitely grow […]
10 Tips for Sustainable Gardening, You Know It Makes Sense.
A new season in the garden, & a very busy one at that, but I’ve made time to think about how I go about gardening. We’ve been here for 2 years, so it seemed a good time to review how it’s all going, & especially my quest for sustainable gardening. I’ve got a check-list in […]
The Garden In April
It’s all change out there, the roadsides are filling up with clouds of cow-parsley [aka Queen Annes’ Lace] & the bluebells have begun to carpet the woods with that wonderful violet-blue haze. The garden in April is full of promise, though in my garden this includes the promise of bindweed, as well as lots of […]
The Vegetable Garden In March
The allotment or vegetable garden in March is gearing up to be a busy place, at this time of year I’m either about to sow seeds or I’m looking after early sown seedlings. What seeds to sow & when to sow them can be confusing, I have a couple of guides. Grow what you like […]
The Vegetable Garden in February
So what’s a good time for a vegetable gardener to go away on holiday? Of course you can’t make this the only criteria for holiday planning, but it did cross my mind when we talked at Christmas about holidays this year. Spring seems like the busiest time in the garden, there are seeds to sow […]
Finding Time To Grow Vegetables.
There’s no doubt that growing your own vegetables is good thing, but when I first had an allotment I got completely carried away. In my enthusiasm I grew lots of vegetables from seed, & when they nearly all germinated, I didn’t have the heart to get rid of most of them, “Why not just plant […]
My Guide to Sowing Seeds.
Our garden is frozen solid, & has been for a few days now, which is fine because staying inside & planning what to grow this year is a lovely thing to be getting on with. One of the easiest & cheapest way to get lots of plants is to grow them from seed, more than […]
Some Of The Vegetables I’ll Be Growing In 2017
2017 is going to be the year of growing vegetables again. Not having an allotment anymore & the new garden being re-done in 2016, meant thin pickings. I missed having freshly picked vegetables, ones that I knew hadn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. I also missed having unusual vegetables, I never got complacent with the […]
My Garden In December
With the end of the year just round the corner, it seems like a good time to look back on the garden in 2016. Our garden changed a lot in late summer when the landscape people arrived & did some major work. Underground drainage pipes were the most important part of all the work. There’s […]
My Vegetable Garden in November
The clocks going back & shorter days have made a big difference to the garden here, but that’s not the only big change around here. We’ve also had proper frosts, coating the ground with a dusting of sparkles. Though our sheltered garden has escaped so far. This has given me a second chance to dig-up […]
An inspiring day at Deans Court.
Well it’s back down to earth this week after spending a lovely day last Thursday at Deans Court in Dorset, hosted by William & Ali Hanham & Lottie Sharland. It was one of those special days that you don’t want to end, I honestly speculated about camping out in the kitchen garden, but at the […]
The Vegetable Garden in September
Hello, well these last few days have been a bit of a roller-coaster for us. If you’ve got a pet you’ll know how much a dog really means to you, they find a place in your heart & become part of your family. Bonnie is my constant companion, part of the rhythm of my day, […]
Big Changes To Our Garden.
I do like growing things & pottering around in our garden, but it’s been a bit tricky since we moved here 18 months ago. The garden was a big reason for choosing this place, it’s flat, which makes it very useable, there’s a lovely old, brick wall along one side, a few David Austin roses & […]
The Vegetable Garden In August
August has had an exciting start, The Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall was fun, I rediscovered how much I like making things, and there were some wonderful people there too. We stopped off at Hauser & Wirth on the way down there which has a fabulous garden designed by Piet Oudolf. On the way back […]
My Garden & The War Against Slugs
You have to admire plants, when the conditions aren’t right they slow right down, ticking over and waiting for favourable conditions to return. This little heatwave here with temperatures up to 30 degrees C has sure slowed things down, except for the well established sun-lovers like lavender and rosemary, they’re in their element and romping […]
The vegetable garden in July
July is the month of long days and plenty of sunshine, and after all that rain earlier in the month everything has grown like mad. So whether you’ve got a balcony, allotment or garden, most crops do well now and you’ll be getting lovely fresh fruit and vegetables. If it’s hot and dry then watering […]
Fabulous Front Gardens
I went to the Hampton Court Flower Show on Monday and bought a greenhouse… I didn’t actually take it home with me, just ordered it ready for delivery in September, when our garden renovation should be complete. I’m pretty excited about our little greenhouse, it’s only 2 x 2metres and it’s got a smart dark-green […]
Elderflower & Gooseberry Cake
As a last hurrah for elderflowers and because together with gooseberries they are a match made in heaven, I’ve made a cake that combines both of these lovely summer flavours. For the sponge, you’ll need: 250g self raising flour 250g softened butter 225g caters sugar 4 large eggs, mixed together in a bowl the filling […]
Growing Vegetables In Containers
The longest day happened this week, it’s hardly noticeable … unless you’re a plant, it makes a big difference to them because light is such a big factor in their growth. The good news is that there’s still time to plant, sow and grow vegetables. Beetroot, radishes, lettuce, french and runner beans are all good […]
Rhubarb cobbler for tea anyone?
In some sort of attempt at healthy eating, puddings are usually reserved for weekends in our house, and since it’s Saturday, I’ve picked rhubarb from the garden and made a big pudding that should last all weekend. If you haven’t come across it before, a cobbler is similar to a crumble, but instead of the […]
What to do in the vegetable garden in June
June is one of my favourite months, the countryside is looking lush and green, there’s still lots of cow parsley filling the road-sides and the roses in the garden are at their absolute best. Long days, sunshine and warm soil make the begining of the summer a great time for vegetable growing, and there’s more […]
Life in the earth
Not only are the plants in the garden making lots of fresh vibrant growth, there’s a lot of wildlife activity too. I’ve seen persistent little blue tits and robins flying round the garden gathering nesting material, whittling bits of string off the tree where the bird-feeders hung in winter, and rootling around plants…. this is […]
Attracting pollinating insects into your garden
I’m making an extra effort this year to have plants in the garden that attract pollinating insects, there are so many plants that fit the bill, so it’s pretty easy. This is my little contribution to help bees and all the other insects that are declining in numbers. Apparently the reasons for the reduction in […]
So much to see at Deans Court.
I’m a big fan of Deans Court and their lovely photo-stream on Instagram, so a weekend away with the family in Dorset was the ideal opportunity to take a little detour, drop in and see it all for real. I’ve lusted over their lovely pictures of the cafe and shop, but it’s a much bigger […]
Currently making wild garlic pesto
I love this time of year with so much fresh, green growth everywhere, there’s a chill in the air, but the days are longer and there’s a fair bit of sunshine around. I hope you had a good weekend, did you have any sunshine? I seem to start a lot of my posts talking about the […]
The vegetable garden in April
Have you been limbering up ready for this busy veg growing time? … it’s been a slow start for me this year, mainly because I haven’t got a proper vegetable garden right now. I said goodbye to the allotment last year because our new garden is big enough – just- for 6 raised beds, but […]
Rhubarb-almond cake & growing rhubarb
How is your Easter weekend, have you had a good time and did you remember about the clocks changing? Isn’t it nice to have more light in the evenings now. It’s been busy here, the kitchen is finally being re-fitted after a leakage of water nearly 5 months ago and Clive was in hospital 4 […]
Fab & fruity blueberry scones
I hope you’ve had nice weather this weekend, it’s been wonderful here, chilly, but bright and sunny, so I made some scones in celebration. I’ve been gradually moving towards using fewer refined ingredients in baking, these have spelt flour and oat flour instead of white flour and they have unrefined sugar too. I don’t know […]
Beginners guide to growing vegetables
I hope you’ve had a good week? Mine has been one ticking things off the to-do list [not as many as I’d hoped to be honest] but with spring hurtling towards us, organising vegetable growing for the year ahead is high up on the list. Picking vegetables, fruit and herbs is one of lifes’ great […]
Things to do in the Vegetable Garden in March
March can be a month of cruel cold and sharp winds…. or milder, sunny days … either way, the increased daylight seems to create more energy in me and the garden and I’m looking forward to it. It’s still too chilly for many plants to grow outside, but undeterred by not having an allotment or […]
Book Review: The Half Hour Allotment by Lia Leendertz
There’s no doubt that growing your own food is a lovely idea, fresh food, free from pesticides and available on your door-step as and when you need it. However, lots of new allotmenteers give up in their first year, because turning these dreams into reality isn’t easy, and as a former alotmenteer I understand the […]
The vegetable garden in February.
February is the month to catch your breath, while you can, and carry on planning the vegetable patch, and doing a little seed sowing and preparation, before the serious business of growing vegetables in spring begins. Firstly I’d finish planning what you’re going to grow and where to plant it. Make a plan that uses […]
Quick guide: kitchen-waste into garden compost.
Here’s a simple thing you can do that’ll make the plants in your garden bigger and better, reduce your carbon foot-print, benefit wildlife, and give a helping hand to organic gardeners….whats more it doesn’t cost a penny. It’s all about transforming kitchen-waste into rich, sweet-smelling crumbly garden compost that will do wonders for your garden. […]
Using wood-ash in the garden
I’ve been meaning to write about wood-ash for ages, this may at first glance not seem like a very exciting topic, but it really can improve your garden, just take a look at this for inspiration: I know lots of you have wood-burning stoves, and all that the lovely soft, grey ash can be used […]
What to do at the allotment in January
There was a touch of frost last night, followed by lashing rain this morning and then an unexpectedly bright afternoon, just the sort of weather when it’s lovely to be down at the allotment. These are a few things to be getting on with when the next dry, chilly day comes along: Prune gooseberry bushes […]
Garden inspiration for 2016
Well here we are, and suddenly it’s the beginning of another year, always a good time to review how the garden and allotment did in 2015, and to think about what to grow next year. With the official end of my allotment lease yesterday, it feels a bit strange not to have a vegetable patch […]
My allotment experience from start to finish.
I hope you’ve had a good christmas holiday and that you’re looking forward to 2016. There’ll be a big change next year and we’re getting ready to leave the allotment, so come and have a look round before I close the gate for the last time at the end of the month. Two years ago […]