Monthly Archives: July 2016

Red currants

Posted on July 31, 2016 by

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 , , | 8 Comments

Free to a good home

Posted on July 30, 2016 by

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 , , | 2 Comments

Spicy but woody

Posted on July 29, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Kale moving outside

Posted on July 28, 2016 by

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 →

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The trouble with cover crops

Posted on July 28, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

More of some and less of another

Posted on July 26, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The blueberry hugel bed

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 11 Comments