Tag: gardening

Compost diaries: Improving soil and gardening for a better world

June 17, 2022

Have you ever known anyone who keeps a compost diary? Well you do now; virtually at least! Composting is one of the most amazing things about gardening. It’s not the prettiest, or the most fragrant or those most immediately gratifying, but building the structure of your soil is one of the most import and rewarding things you can do as a gardener. I’m no soil expert, but I’ve been gardening long enough to see the … More Compost diaries: Improving soil and gardening for a better world

In the garden growing the stuff of life

May 19, 2022

We’re coming to that time of year when the blog can get sadly neglected and the garden takes over. As I start this post before I forget about it, I should really be preparing the ground for the cucumbers to go out, planting out my tomatoes, potting on seedlings and planting more seeds. I observed this tendency last years when I shared an overview of the garden towards the end of the season in September, … More In the garden growing the stuff of life

How time slips away when you’re in the garden

September 9, 2021

Today I’m writing to the soundtrack of a summer thunderstorm. There are sporadic deep grumbles among the more insistent rain and it’s probably only a matter of time before they are joined by crackling flashes of lightning. Why share our inclement weather with you? Well partly because it’s a cause of much excitement here as it means we won’t need to water the garden today, and with luck tomorrow, and because it got me thinking … More How time slips away when you’re in the garden

Preserving and Making Space: My Adventures in Marmalade

August 1, 2019

We were still mid move when I first drafted this post but as I publish we’ve been ‘here’ 6 weeks. Actually since we officially moved, and by that I mean sold out house and had to vacate it earlier than planned, I’ve actually been back in the UK finishing up some fieldwork, come back to our first visitors and since they left, finished one of the 3 work projects I still have outstanding. But anyway, … More Preserving and Making Space: My Adventures in Marmalade

A Darwinian Hybrid

April 15, 2011

One of the nicest things about having an allotment is seeing things re-emerge in spring bringing colour back to the plot. For me this means seeing the ‘Cowslips’ flower and provide nourishment for the bees as they emerge from their winter sleep. Cowslips are a particular favourite of mine. They transport me back to my childhood growing up in Dorset where the chalky hills around our village would take on a yellowy hue an I would … More A Darwinian Hybrid