Author Archives: Elizabeth Waddington

Case Study: Agroforestry in Aberdeenshire

This agroforestry plan is for a site in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The site is currently a grass field, with rough turf cover on humus-rich podzols. This field adjoins a small garden area and existing home. This plan is designed to make full use of this area, with an integrated agroforestry system which will ultimately include chickensContinue reading “Case Study: Agroforestry in Aberdeenshire”

Garden Plans for the Weekend

What are you doing in your garden this weekend? It is good to have some kind of a plan in place – jobs you’d like to get round to – even if things do not quite turn out as planned. Of course, the garden jobs this week will depend very much on where you live.Continue reading “Garden Plans for the Weekend”

First Vaccine Dose and Feeling Fine

I do not know how many of you have yet been fortunate enough to receive your first Covid 19 vaccination. But if any of you are going to get your vaccine soon, I thought I would write a brief post to reassure you. I went yesterday evening to our local vaccination point. It was aContinue reading “First Vaccine Dose and Feeling Fine”

Reasons To Start Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is composting with the help of special worms. But why is composting with worms such a good idea? Why should we choose vermicomposting rather than a different type of composting system? For Quick & Successful Compost Creation Setting up a wormery and enlisting wriggling helpers to aid in composting can speed up the processContinue reading “Reasons To Start Vermicomposting”

Camping or Glamping Sites

I am about to start work on a new permaculture design project, and it has got me thinking about camping and glamping sites in general. Offering sustainable accommodation on your property is one other way to diversify your income streams and make money from your land. A well designed site is not just an opportunityContinue reading “Camping or Glamping Sites”

Choosing Ground Cover For Silvo-Pasture Systems

Silvo pasture is a great strategy for sustainable livestock farming. It simply involves integrating trees into pasture landscape design. The trees may be orchard trees which provide additional yields from the land. Or they may be native trees chosen to enrich the soil, boost biodiversity, or simply to provide shade for the livestock below. ManyContinue reading “Choosing Ground Cover For Silvo-Pasture Systems”

Zero Waste Gardening For Beginners

In your garden, as in your home, it is important to think about how you can minimise waste. Zero waste is about what we buy for use in our gardens. But it is also about how we use our gardens to minimise the amount we consume from the outside world, and the waste we generateContinue reading “Zero Waste Gardening For Beginners”

Case Study: Family Garden Planting Plan

This is a portion of a recent project in Georgia, US, that might be of interest to some other home gardeners. This was a suggested design for polyculture beds to maximise productivity in an area of approximately 60 x 30ft. The goal was to produce plenty of annual/biennial crops in addition to cut flowers forContinue reading “Case Study: Family Garden Planting Plan”

Creating a Garden For Mental Health

There are many reasons why gardening and growing your own are good for you. Growing your own food can help you eat more healthily, and get some gentle exercise perhaps. But gardening is also extremely good for mind as well as body. It can help you improve the state of your mental health. Growing yourContinue reading “Creating a Garden For Mental Health”