Monthly Archives: December 2016

2016 in review

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Helen

Over the last twelve months, I have been keeping a record of the approximate amount of money I’ve saved by growing my own. At first glance, the figures may seem a little disappointing at just over £100. The figures would … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

A hole where it shouldn’t be

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Helen

After a delightful walk round the woodland at Nostell Priory this morning including watching the ducks waddle across the ice on the top of a lake  I came home to find a thaw had taken place in the garden. It therefore seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

No title could be beautiful enough!

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Helen

Today we were at a friend’s for a final Christmas celebration. The smorgasborg was esquisite but then came the cake. Of course, the cake would be worth showing you simply because the decoration is so pretty. As this blog, however, … Continue reading →

Posted in Permaculture, Social | Tagged , | 18 Comments

‘Who’s that?’

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Helen

I’d been wanting to go for a walk in woods for some time and, after the abortive attempt on Christmas Day, I was particularly looking forward to an outing with a friend, who knows the area around Sherburn in Elmet. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Funky vegetables

Posted on December 25, 2016 by Helen

Thankfully, I haven’t finished off the seed order I’ve been writing out for the past few weeks, as one of my presents today was seeds (with starter pots). The instructions say to start them off from April onwards but this … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Gardening | Tagged , | 31 Comments

Claytonia

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Helen

Winter purslane, otherwise known as claytonia, is a new crop for me, so I had no idea what to expect in terms of either coverage or taste. When I first sowed it towards the end of the summer, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Parsley

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Helen

I’d been thinking there was little to do in the garden right now, but I did manage an unplanned hour outside yesterday. This included doing some weeding. Nothing too spectacular there until I got to the hugel bed with the … Continue reading →

Posted in herbs, Permaculture | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Sometimes it feels as though nothing ever changes 

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Helen

Having decided to leave the 2017 seed order till after Christmas, apart from putting more coffee grounds over the garlic, there isn’t a lot to do in the horticultural line right now. I have therefore started reading journal articles on … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Permaculture | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Fairburn Ings

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Helen

I have been craving a walk in nature for a while. One place I had previously visited – about five years ago – struck me as particularly appealing, nor least because I would make more of it, now I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Wildlife | Tagged , | 10 Comments

How to have a snowman at 10 degrees C

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Helen

Our collection of Christmas decorations gets bigger by the day. The Winter Festival at Skelton Grange Environment Centre today provided me with an unexpected opportunity to get handy with some wood, the end result of which will be a snowman. I say … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 9 Comments