Getting Started With ‘No Dig’ Gardening

No dig gardening starts with a single simple idea: we need to protect the soil in our gardens. Soil health is essential for good plant growth, and as with so many things in sustainability, what you don’t do is as important as what you do. In a no dig garden, the general rule is, asContinue reading “Getting Started With ‘No Dig’ Gardening”

Why Renovation/ Retrofitting Can Be More Sustainable Than Building New

When you think of sustainable living, it is likely that a number of different solutions spring to mind. You might think about a tiny home, that really cuts down your impact on the planet. You might think about a natural building, made of sustainable timber, straw bales, cob or adobe. Or you might think aboutContinue reading “Why Renovation/ Retrofitting Can Be More Sustainable Than Building New”

Sea Level Rise and Landscape Measures

Sea-levels are rising. Unfortunately, as more and more people move into the world’s cities, they are often becoming more vulnerable to those rising sea levels. Around two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050, and an estimated 800 million people in more than 570 coastal cities around the world areContinue reading “Sea Level Rise and Landscape Measures”

No Such Thing as ‘Too Many’ When It Comes To Garden Crops

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard gardeners complain that they have ‘too many courgettes’ to get through. Or that they have too much lettuce… But as permaculture gardeners and growers know, excess abundance should not be viewed as a negative. Successional sowing and careful planning can help to spread out harvestsContinue reading “No Such Thing as ‘Too Many’ When It Comes To Garden Crops”

Growing Year Round – Not Just in Summer

Many gardeners begin by sowing seeds in spring and tending crops to harvest towards the end of the main growing season. But to really boost productivity and self-reliance in a permaculture garden, it is useful to think about how, in a temperate climate, we can extend the growing season. When we provide plants with someContinue reading “Growing Year Round – Not Just in Summer”

Increasing Yield in Any Garden

In permaculture gardens, one of our key goals is to obtain a yield. The higher the yield, the more productive, resilient and sustainable our gardens can be. Yield is theoretically unlimited… I recently wrote a short e-book for a client on how to increase yield in a polytunnel garden: How to Increase Yield: (without gettingContinue reading “Increasing Yield in Any Garden”

Ideas For Using Raspberries From a Garden

It has been an excellent year for soft fruits here. If, like me, you love raspberries, you might be interested in some of the different ways to make use of them. Of course, you can simply enjoy some raspberries in a fruit salad, or with some yogurt for breakfast. But there are also plenty ofContinue reading “Ideas For Using Raspberries From a Garden”

Empowering Children To Make Sustainable Change

Children will not only will they grow up to inherit the world we have created – they can also play a major role in creating the world we all wish to see. All too often, children are sidelined. They are viewed as powerless dependents, who are merely there to be guarded and protected. But childrenContinue reading “Empowering Children To Make Sustainable Change”

Tips for Choosing Plants for Your Garden

Sometimes, no matter how experienced we are as gardeners, it is a good idea to get back to basics. So today, let’s take the time to think about some of the important considerations in choosing plants for your garden. Choose Plants For Your Environment First of all, of course, it is important to select theContinue reading “Tips for Choosing Plants for Your Garden”

Land Ownership – We Are Custodians

Thinking about what is possible even on rented property has led me to think about land ownership and what that really means. It is important to consider that even those of us who are lucky enough to own our own properties still have to remember that we are only ever really custodians of that land.Continue reading “Land Ownership – We Are Custodians”