As I have mentioned before on this site, a garden can be far richer in resources than many people imagine. And even if you do not have a garden, nature in your surroundings may afford more opportunities for foraging than you might think. When we look around us, we find that the plant life aroundContinue reading “There Is More to Productive Gardening than Just Food”
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Tips for a Lush Garden Feel
This is a time when many established gardens, no matter what their size or style, are becoming ever more abundant and lush as we move into summer. Many new gardeners are keen to gain a lush and plant-filled feel as soon as possible. But many struggle to work out how to get that lush. gardenContinue reading “Tips for a Lush Garden Feel”
Visitors on the Blossom
The apple trees are in full blossom now, finally, after a very late start this year. And the cherry blossoms are just going over. Now that fine weather has finally arrived, over the last few days, the forest garden is really buzzing with life. Over the time that we have lived here and managed ourContinue reading “Visitors on the Blossom”
Using Pruned Branches in the Garden
The other day, I wrote a post about pruning. Following on from that, it is worthwhile mentioning that one other argument in favour of pruning is that you can make use of the material that is pruned around your home and garden. In a recent article for Treehugger, I outlined some of the ways IContinue reading “Using Pruned Branches in the Garden”
Birdwatching in the Garden
We are very lucky here to share our space with a wide range of different birds. We have lots of pigeons, jackdaws, and the summer visiting swallows diving in and out of a barn adjacent to the barn we are converting. And of course, many common garden and woodland birds. Today, we had a newContinue reading “Birdwatching in the Garden”
Creating an Artist’s Garden
A garden can obviously be highly aesthetically pleasing and still be useful and productive. I always work to make sure that I consider aesthetics in all my designs. But in one recent project (which I will share as a case study tomorrow), aesthetics were particularly important. This project was a garden for an artist –Continue reading “Creating an Artist’s Garden”
Important Sustainability No-Nos For New Gardeners
New gardeners should set out on the right foot, and make sure that their gardening practices are as sustainable as possible from the outset. To make sure you are not making one of the common mistakes, here are things you should not do if you want to garden in a sustainable way: Don’t use syntheticContinue reading “Important Sustainability No-Nos For New Gardeners”
The Parts of Common Vegetable Garden Crops People Don’t Know They Can Eat
Are you accidentally composting parts of common vegetable crops from your garden that you could be eating? There are many plants which offer secondary yields – and other parts of a plant beyond the main harvested parts can often also become a part of your home grown diet. Some parts of common vegetable garden cropsContinue reading “The Parts of Common Vegetable Garden Crops People Don’t Know They Can Eat”
How Much Do You Need to Prune in a Garden?
Many new gardeners feel a little overwhelmed with all the garden jobs on their lists. As a new gardener, working out what you have to do, and what you do not have to do can be a challenge. Many common questions revolve around pruning. How often do you need to prune trees, shrubs etc…? PruningContinue reading “How Much Do You Need to Prune in a Garden?”
Low Maintenance Garden Design
Many people are worried about starting a food producing garden because they worry that they do not have the time. But even when you don’t have much time to tend a garden, it is still important to remember that you can still grow plenty of food. Low maintenance gardens can certainly still be both beautifulContinue reading “Low Maintenance Garden Design”