I have always found it odd how people are often at war with caterpillars in their gardens and yet these same people often love the beautiful colourful dance of butterflies.
Butterflies are one of the most striking insects and studying them as both adult and child can be a real pleasure. When I was little they More…
The ‘gardening’ category
A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010In The Garden In August
Sunday, August 15th, 2010Despite the rash of nice weather that sometimes appears in August, this month does seem to symbolise the end of Summer. You may have already witnessed the slight changing of the leaves as they don their autumnal colours.
However while we may receive some rainy weather as we slide towards the colder months there are still More…
Growing Our Own Veggies: August Checklist
Monday, August 2nd, 2010As we hit the height of Summer and the soil is at its driest, do keep everything regularly (not sporadically) watered, using water from rain butts whereever you can. Many gardeners use “grey” water for watering, ie from baths and doing the washing up, although our jury is out on the advisability of that when More…
Book Review: 21st Century Smallholder by Paul Waddington
Friday, January 22nd, 2010From window boxes to allotments: How to go back to the land without leaving home
If you’ve always fancied the idea of being a smallholder this is a brilliant book to start you on the right path. It is chocked full of tips, insights, case studies and ideas that will have you eager to start!
The More…
Autumn planting
Thursday, September 17th, 2009September and October are ideal months to sow seed and plant both bulbs and perennial plants because the soil is at its warmest at this time of year and so the roots of the plants can start to get established. An excellent range of native flowers are available now.
As bulbs there are Bluebells, wild More…
Get them some gardening kit
Monday, July 20th, 2009I encourage my kids to help with the gardening and recently bought them a matching set of gardening gloves and a watering can. They really enjoy helping to water plants and weeding as well: my younger son begged me to go outside and garden with him today! We’ve planted nasturtiums, bok choy and a few More…
Tiny tip, from mrs Green’s garden – beetroot leaves
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009This week I shared a tip about not wasting your valuable lettuce thinnings.
Infact, we’ve been eating them all week at Chez Green and calling it ’salad’!
Today, my beetroot leaves are looking healthy and strong and I wanted to remind you that you can eat these too!
Tiny ones can be eaten raw in salads; they are More…
I’m planted!
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009So, I’ve launched myself fully into the world of vegetable growing. You’ve already read, in great detail, about the potatoes growing in tyres and the strawberries in a hanging basket, and since then I have planted two veg beds and some pots!
Deciding what to grow wasn’t too tricky, we just went for what we More…
Tiny tip, from mrs Green’s garden
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009You know I can’t stand food waste over at Chez Green, so here’s a tiny tip for everyone having a go at growing their own this year.
When it comes to thinning your lettuces (oh yes you must; I remember NOT wanting to do this the first time I grew things, but go and be brutal so that you More…
6 great uses for nettles
Monday, May 18th, 2009Last week, Clara bought nettle week to our attention.
My neighbour has proudly shown me all her nettles that are dying after she sprayed them with roundup.
So over the weekend, I told DD about nettle week and we brainstormed ways in which we knew nettles to be beneficial for us.
Most people prefer to get rid of their More…
