I’ve already spoken before on this site about the concept of a ‘no dig’ garden. In a no dig garden, the key is to create and manage growing areas so that we disturb the soil ecosystem as little as possible (and take steps to improve it). This involves strategies like making lasagna gardens, hugelkultur moundsContinue reading “Reasons to Dig in a ‘No Dig’ Garden”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Don’t Neglect the Shrub Layer in a Forest Garden
The shrub layer in a forest garden is one that is sometimes neglected in design. Those new to forest gardening often focus on the trees, then their attention leaps to the herbaceous layer. If they do think about the shrub layer at all, initially, people’s minds tend to leap to typical fruit bushes like gooseberriesContinue reading “Don’t Neglect the Shrub Layer in a Forest Garden”
Garden Jobs for December
December might not be the busiest month of the gardening year. But even in the deep mid winter, when most plants are dormant, there are still some things to do in your garden. Today, I thought I would give you a list of a few garden jobs that you might think about taking on thisContinue reading “Garden Jobs for December”
Rethinking Thistles
Many gardeners view thistles as problem weeds. But thistles (of several different varieties) can be extremely useful garden plants. There are lots of thistles where we live, but rather than trying to eradicate them entirely from cultivated areas, I consider them as a benefit and welcome them in my garden (at least to a degree).Continue reading “Rethinking Thistles”
Pest Control in an Organic Garden
Organic gardening is easier than many people imagine. But one thing that can take some work is pest control. It is, perhaps, the part of organic gardening most commonly misunderstood. It’s not primarily about finding organic alternatives to chemical pesticides. In an organic garden, pest control is not about eliminating or ridding ourselves of aContinue reading “Pest Control in an Organic Garden”
Power Cut and Snow – Building Resilience
Today we awoke a little late because the alarm clock did not go off. Looking out the window, we saw that it had snowed overnight – just a thin covering but enough to cause a few problems. We and lots of other households in our area are without power, and it will take them aContinue reading “Power Cut and Snow – Building Resilience”
Planting in December?
You might not think that there is much planting to do in December. And it certainly isn’t the busiest time of the year when it comes to home growing. But that does not mean that there is no sowing and planting you can do at all. One thing I like to do this month isContinue reading “Planting in December?”
Why Buy Produce Direct From Growers?
During the current health crisis, there has been a lot of talk about the vulnerability of supply chains. But one thing few people stop to ask themselves is why our supply chains are so long in the first place. In other words, why do we buy produce and products from around the globe when thereContinue reading “Why Buy Produce Direct From Growers?”
Zero Waste Ideas for Scrap Fabric
There are lots of ways to repurpose old clothes and turn them into something new, for yourself or for someone else. But some clothes do reach the point where they really are beyond saving. Just because clothes cannot be used for their original purpose any more, that does not mean that you have to throwContinue reading “Zero Waste Ideas for Scrap Fabric”
Planned Reuse on Our Barn Conversion Project
Since we are working on a barn conversion, we are living in the midst of rather a lot of reclaimed material. This means that things in our yard look rather a mess at the moment. But we definitely have plans to reuse as many of the old materials as possible. Above you can see someContinue reading “Planned Reuse on Our Barn Conversion Project”