I have been in the barn again all day today – from 7.00am to 4.30 pm when I came in to make our dinner, with just a brief break for lunch. So I am sure you will excuse me for not writing a longer post today. As you may be aware if you have readContinue reading “Progress on Our Barn Conversion”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Sustainability Means Avoiding Fads and Fleeting Fashions
I have never been someone who follows fashion all that closely. My tastes tend to run to the simple and natural. But some struggle to avoid temptations when it comes to fashion, interiors and the like. It is important to remember that being stylish and up to date does not need to mean following fadsContinue reading “Sustainability Means Avoiding Fads and Fleeting Fashions”
How To Avoid Buying in Organic Materials to Make New Gardens
Many people establishing new garden areas immediately jump to purchasing organic materials such as compost, topsoil or wood chip mulch. But more often than not, it is possible to source materials for free, or even to avoid purchasing materials altogether by using what is already on site. One tool that is very useful for thoseContinue reading “How To Avoid Buying in Organic Materials to Make New Gardens”
Apples – Thinking Beyond Crumble and Pie
As our apple harvest begins, I have started making use of some of our cooking apples. We have six apple trees here, five of which have done well this year, and so we soon tire of traditional recipes like apple crumble and apple pie. To be honest, we don’t very often eat desserts through theContinue reading “Apples – Thinking Beyond Crumble and Pie”
Online Internship Opportunity
A slightly different post today – because I am exploring options for next year. This is by way of an introduction to an idea I am considering for early 2022. I run this small business alone, and next year, I am thinking about offering a part-time online internship opportunity for a young person (Aged 18-25)Continue reading “Online Internship Opportunity”
Lessons Sustainable Gardeners Soon Learn
We’ve had a terrible year for plums this year. A very late severe frost in spring meant we already had a bad fruit set, and wet, windy weather in the last few weeks set back some and meant that we lost others. Earlier blossoming apples also fared much less well than usual. It certainly hasContinue reading “Lessons Sustainable Gardeners Soon Learn”
Sustainability: Winning Over Those Reluctant to Change
The biggest challenge in sustainability is not finding alternative solutions. Many of those alternative solutions to our biggest environmental and social challenges already exist. The greatest issue is generating real behavioural change. Working out how to win over those who are reluctant to change is one of the most important problems of our age. InContinue reading “Sustainability: Winning Over Those Reluctant to Change”
Maximalism in Garden Design
Recently, I was introduced to a term which I was not particularly familiar with before: maximalism. This is a concept with says that more is more. It is the antithesis of minimalist design. This is a concept I like, and which works well with my usual style when it comes to garden design. I mightContinue reading “Maximalism in Garden Design”
Why Understanding Plant Roots is Important in a Garden
As gardeners, we ignore the rhizosphere at our peril. New gardeners naturally tend to focus on what plants look like above ground when planning their gardens. But plant roots and what goes on below the soil is also very important. It might sound very obvious, but we should not forget that most plants take inContinue reading “Why Understanding Plant Roots is Important in a Garden”
Holistic Planning is Essential When Planting Trees
I recently wrote an article for Treehugger on why plastic guards should not be used in tree planting. I know that a lot of people do wonder about how to ensure the survival of trees when planting, so today, I thought I would write a little bit about this topic. Plastic guards are not theContinue reading “Holistic Planning is Essential When Planting Trees”
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