I was relaxing yesterday afternoon, after a morning in the garden, I decided to take some of the nettles I harvested and dried and make some rustic twine. I have spoken before about how useful nettles can be, and how I use nettles from my garden to make a rustic twine for the garden, andContinue reading “A Relaxing Job To Try This Summer”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Opportunities on Reclaimed Urban Sites
Removing areas of concrete, asphalt or paving in under-utilised urban sites opens up a range of opportunities to create climate-change conscious gardens at the heart of our cities. Not only does the removal of urban greyness allow for city re-greening, and more effective water management, the materials removed from the site can often also beContinue reading “Opportunities on Reclaimed Urban Sites”
Why Too Much Hard Paving is a Bad Idea
It is depressing to walk down city streets and see home after home with huge areas for cars or huge patios. So much grey asphalt, concrete and pavers is hardly cheering. And there are also many other reasons why too much hard paving is a bad idea. For one thing, huge areas of impermeable surfaceContinue reading “Why Too Much Hard Paving is a Bad Idea”
Sustainability and Practical Prepping
When many people think of prepping, unfortunate associations come to mind. People’s minds may travel to the extremes, where people have bunkers, weaponry, and stockpiles of food and supermarket supplies to last 20 years or more. To me, prepping is not about stockpiling or hunkering down for the ‘end of days’. To me, it isContinue reading “Sustainability and Practical Prepping”
Container Gardening – A Few Simple Tips
If you do not have much outside space available, or only a paved or gravelled area, a container garden can still allow you to get growing – often more prolifically than you might imagine. If you are considering starting a container garden, here are a few simple tips to help you avoid some common pitfallsContinue reading “Container Gardening – A Few Simple Tips”
Keeping Chickens Cool in Hot Weather
Over the last few days here, our chickens have been hiding out in deeper shade as much as possible. We are fortunate here that we do not have extreme heat in summer. Though it has been warm for our hens, (mid 20 degrees C.) the heat does not reach dangerous levels. Of course, we’ve beenContinue reading “Keeping Chickens Cool in Hot Weather”
Consciousness, Intention and Action
Ecosystem restoration expert John D. Liu was kind enough recently to answer a few of my questions for Treehugger. Click here for a link to this brief Q&A. I was in touch with him via the Ecosystem restoration project which I have been working with in Somalia and do hope we will have the chanceContinue reading “Consciousness, Intention and Action”
The Importance of Experimentation in a Garden
In a garden, it is important to experiment. While other gardeners, books, and other media can teach you a lot, learning second-hand is never enough to create a truly great garden. Even the very best gardens are a work in progress. All gardeners have to observe, experiment, and respond to change over time. It isContinue reading “The Importance of Experimentation in a Garden”
Dealing With Heat in Your Garden
We’ve had some lovely warm weather here recently. Since we are in Scotland, the relatively mild summer heat is usually something to enjoy and not something to fear. I am a typical Scot and anything over around 20 degrees C. (68F) feels very warm to me! I don’t fare well in the sun and searchContinue reading “Dealing With Heat in Your Garden”
A Few Photos From the Forest Garden
It is a beautiful and very warm day today, and I thought that I would take the opportunity to take a few photos in the forest garden. Without much comment then, here are some images of my wild little food-filled ‘paradise’: Yes, it is wild and very overgrown at this time of year. Yes, thereContinue reading “A Few Photos From the Forest Garden”