Wild Raspberries in my Garden

We are very lucky here because wild raspberries grow prolifically in this area, and crop up all around the edges of our property and pretty much wherever we allow them to grow. Raspberries are one of my favourite fruits, and we love both the wild and cultivated varieties. I allow the wild variety to growContinue reading “Wild Raspberries in my Garden”

Mulching Potatoes Rather Than Earthing Up With Soil

Traditionally potatoes are of course earthed up as they grow. But as I have experimented here with no dig gardening techniques, I have moved to a system where I mulch around the growing potato plants rather than mounding up the soil around them. I have tried various different organic mulch materials and while my experimentsContinue reading “Mulching Potatoes Rather Than Earthing Up With Soil”

Some Of The Best Self Seeders in My Forest Garden

A great garden is one which can not only endure over time but which also improves and gains in biodiversity. Making the right initial choices when it comes to planting can go a long way towards ensuring that the garden evolves as you wish. And choosing the right plants can make your life easier too.Continue reading “Some Of The Best Self Seeders in My Forest Garden”

There Is More to Productive Gardening than Just Food

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”