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Monthly Archives: July 2016
Red currants
Almost two years ago now, I was given a couple of currant canes at Old Sleningford Farm, where I volunteer once a month. I cut the canes into several pieces and put them in pots. Four survived, two were planted … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Permaculture, Wildlife
Tagged forest garden, fruit crops, red currants
8 Comments
Free to a good home
We went on a fantastic walk with my French group today. It took us into the Yorkshire Dales, beyond Ilkley, a town northeast of Leeds. Apart the conversation, which included learning about where my daughter might get the chance to … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Good for the environment, Social
Tagged Ilkley, runner beans, Yorkshire Dales
2 Comments
Spicy but woody
A note to self: root crops do not, I repeat, do not well in my soil. Last autumn, I was inspired to get some black radish by gaiainaction. The first sowing was too late, so I thought I would try again when … Continue reading
Kale moving outside
At work today, I was so pleased to see the students coming in with umbrellas. Perhaps they were dismayed but to me it meant: planting…. As it turned out, the rain had hardly penetrated the soil but if only psychologically … Continue reading
The trouble with cover crops
The other day, I needed to clear a patch of phacelia to make way for the compost bin. I love phacelia as much as the bumblebees but a downside of using it has been confirmed in my mind. One of … Continue reading
More of some and less of another
This evening, as I was turning the compost and moving that which was almost ready to the other bin, I noticed I didn’t have as much to put into the finishing off bin as I used to. At first, I … Continue reading
The blueberry hugel bed
Over the past week or so, I had been making preparations for the building of a sixth hugel bed. This one was to be different in that it was going to be filled with a big no-no: pine. Pine is … Continue reading
The will to live
This morning, when I opened the curtains, I got quite a surprise. The pumpkin flower pictured above is on a plant which had been buried under mangetout plants which refused to stay on their supports. It had also been crowded … Continue reading
An unexpected forage (cherries)
Today was one of those perfect days when everything seemed to go right and then some! Friends visited us in our village and we showed them around the community orchard, which I have hardly been to myself… It’s that on-your-doorstep … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, In the kitchen, Social
Tagged cherry cordial, community orchard, foraging
2 Comments
The north-south divide
Before I started the front garden make-over, I had been concerned that nothing would flourish there, since it is on the north side of the house. In truth, it is actually northeast-facing, so in the summer it does get a … Continue reading