Too Little Land… or Too Much?

Recently my mind was drawn to think again about the important issue of land reform – a key issue where I live here in Scotland. In Scotland, land is a pressing political issue, since so much of the land here is in the ‘possession’ of so few. One of the many reasons why this isContinue reading “Too Little Land… or Too Much?”

Get Your Garden Ready to Entertain This Summer – Sustainable Garden Tips

As many of us move out of lockdowns once more, we’re looking forward to welcoming friends and families into our gardens over the summer months. So to help you prepare for summer parties and gatherings, here are some tip tips to make your garden ready in a sustainable way: Plant for fresh produce that youContinue reading “Get Your Garden Ready to Entertain This Summer – Sustainable Garden Tips”

Proving the Benefit of Insulation

We’ve had a busy day today working on our barn conversion. We’ve been working inside the upstairs portion, starting to install some ceilings, and the insulation above them. It has been a lesson in just how much difference some insulation in a roof can really make. We’ve been adding ‘Cosy Wool’ sheep’s wool insulation inContinue reading “Proving the Benefit of Insulation”

Case Study – Rain Garden

This is an example of water management in a small front garden in England. The garden is currently a scrubby area of lawn, with an old driveway and a few overgrown shrubs around the edge. The primary goal for the design was to prevent a small issue with water-logging to the side of the driveway,Continue reading “Case Study – Rain Garden”

Managing Rainwater Runoff in City Gardens

Many organic gardeners are already collecting the rainwater that falls on their roofs. (And if you are not already doing so, this should be a top priority.) But fewer gardeners and home owners take the time to consider the rainwater that runs off their driveway, or other hard, paved areas on their properties. Often, thisContinue reading “Managing Rainwater Runoff in City Gardens”

Attracting Butterflies in a Garden

One of the most important things in organic gardening is, of course, making sure that we welcome in wildlife in our gardens. Butterflies are one of the many creatures that we should aim to attract. In addition to the ecological services they provide, butterflies are, of course, attractive creatures. Seeing them alighting on our flowersContinue reading “Attracting Butterflies in a Garden”

Galium Aparine – A Useful Wild Edible and Tonic Plant

Galium aparine is a ‘weed’ which goes by a lot of different names. We always called it stickywilly when I was growing up, and it is also called goosegrass, sticky weed, or cleavers. All of its names refer to the way in which it sticks, velcro-like, to everything – adhering itself to our clothes asContinue reading “Galium Aparine – A Useful Wild Edible and Tonic Plant”

Remember – Consumers Have the Power to Drive Sustainable Change

When faced with companies and governments who do not necessarily do as much as we need and want them to do when it comes to sustainability, it is common for people to wonder what they, as individuals, could possibly do. It can be frustrating when the ‘powers that be’ are not doing enough. But weContinue reading “Remember – Consumers Have the Power to Drive Sustainable Change”

Using Leftovers and Preventing Food Waste

Food waste should be a major concern for anyone who wants to live a more sustainable way of life. Huge amounts of food are wasted across the developed world, much of that food at household level. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to reduce food waste at home – from considering what and whereContinue reading “Using Leftovers and Preventing Food Waste”

Organic Liquid Plant Feeds

Today, I took some time to use some of my homemade compost tea on some of the plants in my polytunnel and in pots, to give them a boost as the weather finally begins to warm up where we live. This is a general-purpose feed which I tend to use a few times over theContinue reading “Organic Liquid Plant Feeds”