Monthly Archives: July 2017

Our smaller friends

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Helen

I’m having trouble with my back door. Before, it wouldn’t lock – now it is the opposite. However, whilst struggling to get it open yesterday, I saw a Red Admiral on the ‘patio’, which made the episode less frustrating. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

My first raised bed

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Helen

This morning was one of those times when I was so glad of my garden to take away internal anguish. A chance question by a friend’s mum left me in a state of disarray last night – but fortunately, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Caraway

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Helen

What is your favourite type of bread? Mine is pumpernickel but I can’t get the ingredients to make that and my bread maker would probably struggle, anyway. However, it does do a decent wholemeal rye – as demonstrated by how … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Longing for rosemary

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Helen

Four of my rosemary seeds germinated and I duly potted them on. Then one of these seedlings went brown and died. On the windowsill that works, of all places. The two seedlings I put in the shed are doing okay, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

I don’t think it’s seakale

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Helen

I got a second wind at dusk – had already removed a number of poppies during the day and decided to more or less finish off the job later. There is a final tomato plant to put in the ground … Continue reading →

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Headless no more!

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Helen

If one of my hugel beds seems to have disappeared, another I built more recently certainly hasn’t. Besides, it is clearly a good place to grow, although whether that is because of the wood or just what would be happening … Continue reading →

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Where has all the wood gone?

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Helen

After another wait for rain, I was able to plant the remaining two cucurbits this afternoon. It still wasn’t great for digging a hole deep enough but at least I didn’t wish I had a pneumatic drill. I had, however, … Continue reading →

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Heat and hugelculture 

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Helen

The other day, newly grown chard on a hugel bed I built earlier in the year looked like this: Never before have I known chard to wilt, let alone be prostrate. Now, it has been warm and dry but I … Continue reading →

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The melon 

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Helen

For weeks, I’ve been waiting for a female flower to open on the melon plants. Perhaps they did but I simply missed them… However, whilst doing the morning watering just now, at last I saw a healthy looking ovary with … Continue reading →

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The mint hideout

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Helen

I’m slowly working my way through the poppies…. breaks my heart to chop them down when there are still so many buds on them. However, I vowed I wouldn’t let them take over too much space after the tomato fail … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 3 Comments