I know that most gardeners moan at the sight of even a single weed, and rip them all out as soon as they appear. But my garden has lots of weeds – and I love them. Yes, even in the vegetable beds. While not all weeds, of course, are desirable, there are plenty of weedsContinue reading “Chickweed: A Weed You Want in Your Garden”
Tag Archives: gardening
Hedging Bets and Avoiding Losses in the Garden
This week, I have been very grateful for the fact that I have built up some resilience in my garden systems, and have been careful, through permaculture approaches and careful planning, not to put all my eggs in one basket. We have had a very late and rather unexpected cold snap, with night time temperaturesContinue reading “Hedging Bets and Avoiding Losses in the Garden”
Managing Time Effectively in a Busy Gardening Period
April is one of the busiest times in the gardening year where I live. And it is the same for many others too. There are so many seeds to sow this month, others to pot on or harden off and plant out, perennials to plant out and some to divide, general garden maintenance jobs, and,Continue reading “Managing Time Effectively in a Busy Gardening Period”
April Sowing, Growing and Harvesting
This is a busy time of the year in the garden. Though I have to be careful here about not planting anything out or sowing too early, before the last frosts, there is plenty going on. I have held off on some sowing and planting outdoors this week because some relatively late frosts are expectedContinue reading “April Sowing, Growing and Harvesting”
Wildlife Pond Tips
I have spoken before about how wonderful a wildlife pond can be, and what a good idea it can often be to add a pond to your property. I recently wrote this article for Treehugger on the subject – with simple tips for anyone who is thinking about creating a wildlife pond and would likeContinue reading “Wildlife Pond Tips”
Tips for Gardens in Colder Planting Zones
As you may already be aware, USDA gardening zones are one of the factors to consider when choosing plants for your garden. Those living in colder climate zones, say zones 3, 4 or even 5 may sometimes feel a little disappointed not to be able to grow the range of plants available for warmer climateContinue reading “Tips for Gardens in Colder Planting Zones”
Adding Trees Without Creating Too Much Shade
I have spoken before about how great a decision it can be to plant trees on your property. But some people, understandably, enjoy the sunshine. They worry that adding trees will exclude too much light and make a garden too shaded. Though sensible design, however, trees can become part of almost any garden. Here areContinue reading “Adding Trees Without Creating Too Much Shade”
The Cycle of Good Health
One thing that I thought it would be good to talk about more is the cycle of good health that ties us to the natural world around us. Sometimes, it is the simplest facts which are overlooked. And here is one of the simplest: Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Healthy people eat healthy plants. HealthyContinue reading “The Cycle of Good Health”
Common Mistakes When Placing a New Kitchen Garden
I recently wrote a piece for Treehugger, “Where Should You Place a New Kitchen Garden?” And this got me thinking about the mistakes I have seen people make. So here are some things you should not do when placing a new kitchen garden: Don’t hide away a vegetable plot at the far end of yourContinue reading “Common Mistakes When Placing a New Kitchen Garden”
Big Data is Not Always Bad
After writing this brief piece recently for Treehugger: Using Data and Citizen Science for Gardening Success I’ve been thinking more about ‘big data’ and both the challenges and opportunities wide scale data gathering can bring. We tend to think of ‘big data’ in negative terms – as a tool used against us rather than somethingContinue reading “Big Data is Not Always Bad”
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