As the holidays approach, many people may be looking forward to spending time with loved ones. But for those who cannot have the festive season they desire may be feeling a little down in the dumps. Cliches like ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ can give little cheer to those who are in a farContinue reading “Embracing Optimism: Looking at the Bright Side in Life”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Lawn Looking Bad Over Winter?
Are you used to your lawn turning into a muddy mess over the winter months? Fed up of bare patches and weeds in spring? There is a simple solution – get rid of that lawn and replace it with a more eco-friendly, vibrant and biodiverse planting scheme that looks good year round. Lawn care isContinue reading “Lawn Looking Bad Over Winter?”
Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today
We can all sometimes be guilty of procrastination. We can often have the very best of intentions to do something ‘tomorrow’. But that ‘tomorrow’ just may not come. In gardening, and in sustainability in general, putting things off can often mean that we fall short, in spite of our best intentions. I often hear peopleContinue reading “Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today”
Christmas Crackers
One thing I really dislike about Christmas are the cheap Christmas crackers that people buy which are made from plastic-coated papers, nylon ribbons and other non-recyclable elements, and which come with tacky plastic gifts, paper hats and cheesy jokes inside. Many people love to have Christmas crackers on their Christmas tables, and for many, ChristmasContinue reading “Christmas Crackers”
Bare Root Planting – Tips and Advice
Over the dormant period, many of you may well be planting bare root trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials. I myself am awaiting a delivery from the Agroforestry Research Trust with some additions for my forest garden. Purchasing bare root specimens, rather than pot grown ones can be a more affordable way to purchase new plantsContinue reading “Bare Root Planting – Tips and Advice”
Upcycled Furniture For Our Barn Conversion
Yesterday I spent some time sanding back an old chest of drawers for our new bedroom in the barn conversion or steading conversion that we are working on. This was already second hand when a good friend passed it on to us when we were in need of something to put clothes in a numberContinue reading “Upcycled Furniture For Our Barn Conversion”
Coping With Slope: Permaculture Ideas Can Help
Tomorrow, I will share a small case study which shows a solution for a steep slope in a tropical climate. More on that tomorrow. But today, I thought I would share some of the key solutions permaculture offers to deal with sloping sites. Where slopes are not so extreme, and where the conditions are suitable,Continue reading “Coping With Slope: Permaculture Ideas Can Help”
Sustainable Christmas Tree Options
If you are thinking about getting a Christmas tree this year, you might be wondering which option would be the most sustainable choice. When it comes to Christmas trees, there are five main options: Choose a fake (synthetic) tree. Get a real, cut Christmas tree. Opt for a living Christmas tree in a pot. MakeContinue reading “Sustainable Christmas Tree Options”
Planting For the Long Term
Often, gardeners and farmers will focus on plants which provide yields in the short term. They will grow annual fruits and vegetables, and, perhaps, plant fruit bushes and fruit trees which will yield only a year or two after planting. But great gardens and farms seek to provide for people and wildlife not just inContinue reading “Planting For the Long Term”
Start Your Own Organic Garden: An Online Course For Beginners
Right back at the beginning of this year, I ran a course to help new gardeners get started. I designed this simple, practical course to help beginners move to the point where they are ready to start their own organic food producing garden in the spring. People who took this course last year were kindContinue reading “Start Your Own Organic Garden: An Online Course For Beginners”
EWSP Consultancy 