7 Ways to Boost Wellbeing in Your Winter Garden You can’t help it. You’re gloomy. The nights have draw in. The days are colder, the trees are bare, the ground is sodden. All that glorious greenery that sustained you… You can’t help it. You’re gloomy. The nights have draw in. The days are colder, the trees are bare, the ground is sodden. All that glorious greenery that sustained you…
How to Calmly Deal With Leaves, When You HATE clutter I confess I like things neat and tidy. I love all things organized and in their place. Mess makes me angry. I can’t help it. Blame society, social media, female peer… I confess I like things neat and tidy. I love all things organized and in their place. Mess makes me angry. I can’t help it. Blame society, social media, female peer…
How to Boost Your Soil’s Health in October Have you ever watched The Magic School Bus? My kids love it. It’s an entertaining educational watch with no stereotypical ‘whatever’ girls and bullying boys. Instead,… Have you ever watched The Magic School Bus? My kids love it. It’s an entertaining educational watch with no stereotypical ‘whatever’ girls and bullying boys. Instead,…
How to Get Your Organic Garden Ready for Autumn If you want a great spring, with healthy plants and rich soil, then you have to get your organic garden ready in September. If you want a great spring, with healthy plants and rich soil, then you have to get your organic garden ready in September.
Grow your own bird food Want to reduce the cost of buying bird seeds and fate balls. Here's how you can grow your own bird food and sustain the birds with plants in your garden. Want to reduce the cost of buying bird seeds and fate balls. Here's how you can grow your own bird food and sustain the birds with plants in your garden.
Call of the Wildflowers Wildflower watching became an activity itself on our holiday. Having seen the clouds of insects surrounding these…it made me realise that exotic ‘pollinator plants’ have Wildflower watching became an activity itself on our holiday. Having seen the clouds of insects surrounding these…it made me realise that exotic ‘pollinator plants’ have
Mend your Garden so the Butterflies will Come Don’t waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come. Mario Quintana Growing up, we had two big glass picture frames filled with… Don’t waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come. Mario Quintana Growing up, we had two big glass picture frames filled with…
Composting: How it works and why you need to make it? I hate taking instructions with no explanation. 2×2 is 4? But why. Add baking powder to make your cake rise…how does that work? Mix cardboard and grass cuttings in… I hate taking instructions with no explanation. 2×2 is 4? But why. Add baking powder to make your cake rise…how does that work? Mix cardboard and grass cuttings in…
Springtails: The Wee Beasties Helping Your Plants If you want a great garden, you can’t do it by yourself. There’s an army of little helpers beneath the soil. With a spring in their step, these bees of the soil are doing If you want a great garden, you can’t do it by yourself. There’s an army of little helpers beneath the soil. With a spring in their step, these bees of the soil are doing
Why you need fungi in your garden I once spent an entertaining day on a secret mission in the Scottish wilderness with a man known only as “Dick the Shroom.” Along with a chef, we were on the hunt for… I once spent an entertaining day on a secret mission in the Scottish wilderness with a man known only as “Dick the Shroom.” Along with a chef, we were on the hunt for…
Be Brave, Go Organic and Save Your Corner of the Planet I was surprised and pleased to see Amateur Gardening magazine had a section in one of their September editions dedicated to organic gardening, mainly because the… I was surprised and pleased to see Amateur Gardening magazine had a section in one of their September editions dedicated to organic gardening, mainly because the…
Grow some zero-waste herbs Over the winter I was regularly buying basil and parsley pots from the supermarket only to watch sadly as the overcrowded plants suffocated and ran out of nutrients. We… Over the winter I was regularly buying basil and parsley pots from the supermarket only to watch sadly as the overcrowded plants suffocated and ran out of nutrients. We…
The Garden Edit I’ve been binge-watching The Home Edit. It’s another home organization show, but with more containers and rainbow organisation, interior styling and editing as opposed… I’ve been binge-watching The Home Edit. It’s another home organization show, but with more containers and rainbow organisation, interior styling and editing as opposed…
The Amazing Benefits of Growing Borage I’d never heard of this plant until three years ago. To be honest the words “tastes like cucumber,” “great in G&T,” and “good for bees” were enough to set off my ‘Buy… I’d never heard of this plant until three years ago. To be honest the words “tastes like cucumber,” “great in G&T,” and “good for bees” were enough to set off my ‘Buy…
What Is Mulch and Why We Should All Be Mulching I love to mulch. I wish the word was slightly sexier, but it's not. It has all the lyrical charm of 'stodge', 'squelch' and 'gloop.' I love to mulch. I wish the word was slightly sexier, but it's not. It has all the lyrical charm of 'stodge', 'squelch' and 'gloop.'
10 Ways to Plant Your Containers with Repurposing in Mind Every autumn, I hear my friend's frustration that they have had to throw away a pile of summer bedding plants that have gone over, gone leggy, or just gone to their… Every autumn, I hear my friend's frustration that they have had to throw away a pile of summer bedding plants that have gone over, gone leggy, or just gone to their…
Protecting Mother Nature in My Back Garden No matter how few possessions you own or how little money you have, loving wildlife and nature will make you rich beyond measure. No matter how few possessions you own or how little money you have, loving wildlife and nature will make you rich beyond measure.
Spring Gardening Tips Spring is full of so much potential! “Something strange blankets the city and the soul in the first days of spring. The weary, the rushed, even the dispossessed… Spring is full of so much potential! “Something strange blankets the city and the soul in the first days of spring. The weary, the rushed, even the dispossessed…
How to Commune with Nature When You’re Stuck Inside Our gardens are our sanctuary, but when it’s perishingly cold outside or lashing with rain, how can we connect with nature on the inside? With two small kids, I often… Our gardens are our sanctuary, but when it’s perishingly cold outside or lashing with rain, how can we connect with nature on the inside? With two small kids, I often…
Grappling with Groundcover to Save My Soil After 5 years of tidying, lack of organic matter and absolutely NO mulching, the Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) and other groundcover plants had left behind a wasteland. After 5 years of tidying, lack of organic matter and absolutely NO mulching, the Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) and other groundcover plants had left behind a wasteland.
How to start a Container Garden – properly! Is your patio full of mismatched containers, overgrown plants and waterlogged lavender? Are they all unhappily stuffed in the same multipurpose compost? When it comes to… Is your patio full of mismatched containers, overgrown plants and waterlogged lavender? Are they all unhappily stuffed in the same multipurpose compost? When it comes to…
Grow your own cut flowers from Spring to Winter Buying flowers can be expensive, why not grow them yourself had fill your entire house with flowers. Buying flowers can be expensive, why not grow them yourself had fill your entire house with flowers.
How to Encourage Bats into Your Garden? Bats eat mosquitos, midges, caterpillars, gnats and large beetles...the are the unsung heroes of the garden and here's how to encourage them in. Bats eat mosquitos, midges, caterpillars, gnats and large beetles...the are the unsung heroes of the garden and here's how to encourage them in.
20 Tips to Create a Zero Waste, Organic Garden Do you want to ditch the plastic and go zero waste in your garden? Do you want to stop buying plastic wrapped compost bags, fertilizers and pesticides and create a… Do you want to ditch the plastic and go zero waste in your garden? Do you want to stop buying plastic wrapped compost bags, fertilizers and pesticides and create a…
What I do in the garden in February The answer is usually everything! In February everything is starting to wake up so it's time to do a garden audit, move, divide and plant bare root perennials and roses. The answer is usually everything! In February everything is starting to wake up so it's time to do a garden audit, move, divide and plant bare root perennials and roses.
What I do in the garden in January January is the perfect time to start planning and preparing your garden for the year ahead. Every month I type in what to do in the garden in January, February, and… January is the perfect time to start planning and preparing your garden for the year ahead. Every month I type in what to do in the garden in January, February, and…