The veg bed hasn't been touched since my last harvesting of mange tout and French beans in November. With No Dig, there isn't much to do until the beds are ready to receive their first seeds and seedlings, but feels good to make a start.
Growing Vanilla Orchid and How to make Vanilla Extract
Vanilla is an expensive commodity because since there are no natural insect pollinators like the Melipona Bee in other places, vanilla flowers have to be hand pollinated, a very delicate process, in order for each flower to produce any seed pods...
Aluminium vs Wooden Greenhouses
If you are thinking about purchasing your own greenhouse, there are many on the market and one of the biggest questions is, what material of greenhouse to go for? I have been fortunate enough to have experience of both so I thought it would be cool to weigh up and compare the two. Both certainly have their pros and cons and what I have to share may help with what is a relatively costly purchase.
The Pantry: Pickling, Preserving, Storing and Uses
Time to read 7 minutes Once you have taken the time to sow, grow and harvest your own vegetables, it's equally important to know how to conserve and store your produce so you enjoy your harvests well into the winter months. Here are a few tried and tested ways I have stored some of the... Continue Reading →
In Praise of Bartering and How to
Time to read 5 minutes During the pandemic, bartering helped me to grew my local connections, helped me to learn new skills and ultimately, got me into knitting. At the time, we lived in Bristol. I worked from home and I had the time to tend to a lot of plants. I bought, propagated and... Continue Reading →
The Garden in Winter – What worked and what did not in last year’s garden
Time to read 9 minutes As we near to winter's close, it is the perfect time to reflect on what worked well in the garden and what needs improvement as we look towards this year’s growing season. At the end of January in USDA Plant Hardiness zone of 9a, UK, and before the garden wakes... Continue Reading →
How to get started with gardening – Entry Level: Container Gardening!
Time to read 9 minutes Gardening brings so much value and joy so it would be a mistake to believe you need a large garden and full sun to be able to do so effectively. I currently live in USDA Zone 9a and while I don't have a lot of vegetable growing space, my garden... Continue Reading →
Growing Food and Foraging for my Mediterranean Tortoise
Time to read 5 minutes Having a tortoise teaches you a lot about your own life and routines. She reminds me to slow down, to eat my veggies, drink my water and to mind my own business but I would like to share some information on what my tortoise eats and where I source her... Continue Reading →
7 Reasons to Greenhouse Garden
Time to read 4 minutes My 8X10 Greenhouse by SW Greenhouses A gardener has many tools. A tool for every job- and there are countless. But I must say, a greenhouse is an invaluable piece of kit and well worth the quite sizeable investment. I have always loved greenhouses. I attended a primary school situated... Continue Reading →