May is always a busy month for gardeners and it feels even more so this year here – is that the same for you?
A flying visit to Beechgrove
We celebrated the first day of May by flying from Bristol to Aberdeen, to visit Beechgrove Gardens.
How to Make a Spicy Multipurpose Cleaner
This fragrant, spicy versatile cleaning vinegar smells fantastic and cleans powerfully.
allotment/back garden/blog/Bruton/experiments/featured/gardening/Homeacres/homesteading/kitchen garden/making a no dig bed/mulching/nature/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/No Dig Organic Home and Garden/no hungry gap/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/preparing the soil/propagation/seasonal cooking/spring
New allotment plan and other experiments.
Every year I mulch my no dig allotment with an inch or two of composted manure or homemade compost, but this year I am trying something different!
No dig garden update: end of March
March has felt much colder, wetter and darker than usual. Occasional bursts of golden sunshine and hints of the warmth that will (surely it must?!) be here soon have brightened an otherwise most peculiar month.
allotment/blog/Bruton/featured/front garden/gardening/Homeacres/nature/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/winter
Walking in a winter wonderland … in March… again!
Every Monday I pour my morning coffee and plan my week. Last week was so busy with talks, writing, a course day on Saturday; there was little time for gardening at home, so I scheduled Sunday as a whole day of gardening at home.
allotment/back garden/blog/Bruton/countryside/featured/front garden/homesteading/kitchen garden/nature/no dig gardening/no hungry gap/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/winter
My polytunnel in early March
Usually the end of February and early March heralds a dramatic increase of activity in the greenhouse – but the unusually cold weather means last week was more about snowing than sowing!
blog/featured/homesteading/kitchen garden/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/no hungry gap/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/propagation/spring/winter
How to prick out seedlings (and other February gardening)
It feels strange to be writing about heat loving plants like aubergines as Britain is gripped by unseasonally cold weather. Kitchen gardening is about always thinking ahead, anticipating and planning for what is to come, so I have been happy thinking about warm summer days as I wrap myself up in layers of thermals and woollens!
blog/featured/gardening/homesteading/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/No Dig Organic Home and Garden/no hungry gap/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/propagation/winter
Sowing aubergines, chillies and sweet peppers for summer and autumn harvests
I absolutely love growing aubergines. Incredibly versatile for so many different recipes, I love all of the different colours and shapes, how some are seriously spiky and of course the delicious taste.
blog/Bruton/featured/homesteading/nature/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/No Dig Organic Home and Garden/permaculture/winter
Getting ready for sowing!
I am really looking forward to getting into to the swing of spring sowing, but as this morning’s weather demonstrated in no uncertain terms, it is still very much winter!
No Dig On Tour!
I’ve been working away for a week or so on Charles’ speaking tour. We had a fantastic time meeting keen gardeners across northern England and parts of Scotland, sharing ideas and enthusiasm for no dig methods. Some people were local to the talks, others had driven for several hours to hear Charles speak. It was wonderful exploring some spectacular locations and beautiful wild countryside.Â
How to make recycled paper pots for sowing and planting
Homemade newspaper pots are quick and easy to make and use, biodegrade in the soil and worms like munching them too! Put into reusable containers to make your own module trays or use as individual pots.
New Year Update
Happy New Year! I haven’t blogged for a while because Charles and I have been away. Before dawn on Christmas day we were at Heathrow airport and spent the day flying across Africa, to Cape Town. See how quiet the airport is at 4 in the morning!
back garden/blog/Bruton/featured/front garden/Homeacres/homesteading/making a no dig bed/mulching/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/No Dig Organic Home and Garden/organic/permaculture/preparing the soil/winter
Making a no dig bed on frozen grassy ground
In the bleak mid-winter, frost made the earth stand hard as iron, water like a stone. No problem for no dig gardeners – Charles and I decided to make another bed at Homeacres!
blog/FAQ/featured/gardening/Homeacres/mulching/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/No Dig Organic Home and Garden/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/preparing the soil/You tube
Top 10 FAQ – How to start your No Dig Garden
We are often asked to start no dig gardens and so Charles, the admin team of our Facebook group and I have come up with the Top Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions.
If we haven’t covered your questions, please ask them in the comments here (or on the Facebook group if you are a member) and we will answer them as soon as we can.
There’s a lot more information in our (Award Winning!!) book, No Dig Organic Home and Garden, in Charles’ other books, on his website and his You Tube Channel.
We won!
Yesterday, our book No Dig Organic Home and Garden won the Peter Seabrook Practical Book of the Year at the Garden Media Guild Awards at the Savoy in London.
We are absolutely blown away, totally delighted!
allotment/autumn/blog/Bruton/countryside/featured/gardening/homesteading/kitchen garden/mulching/nature/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/organic/permaculture
No Dig Allotment November Update
My allotment has been quite neglected recently. All of my travels (Yorkshire for a wedding, then Thailand and Laos, with a work trip to Ireland just 2 days after returning), my work and autumnal weather suddenly arriving after a mild sunny spell – quite a shock after Thailand for me! – has meant that I am not quite where I would like to be for November 22nd. Nevermind though, it will all get done and I have had a lovely time.
Hope, Cake and Scarecrows
This blog connects no dig gardening, tea and cake, a Thai orphanage and a kind gift from Walton’s Garden Buildings .Â
Guest Blog for Mr Plant Geek
Michael Perry, aka Mr Plant Geek, saw some photographs of the seasonal, plant based food I make on Twitter and asked me to share some recipes on his website: here they are.
allotment/autumn/back garden/blog/featured/front garden/gardening/homesteading/kitchen garden/nature/no dig gardening/No Dig Home/no hungry gap/organic/permaculture/polytunnel/winter