Monthly Archives: April 2018

The hugel pot and other matters

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Helen

It seems ages ago since I posted about my plan to create a mini hugel bed in a pot for a tomato plant. However, the day has come. I hope that the plastic sheet on top of the pot, weighed … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged compost, hugelculture, The Three Sisters | 16 Comments

Saving in various ways

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Helen

Yesterday, we took a bus along my route to work in order to investigate various outlets which I had viewed on my journeys to and from. One of these outlets was a secondhand furniture store, where I found a picnic … Continue reading →

Posted in Good for the environment, Permaculture | Tagged bay tree flowers, home-grown food, mice, single-use plastic | 17 Comments

Not vermicelli

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Helen

Okay, I’ve used my car today, so clearly I’ve got a carbon footprint. At the same time, I’m feeling uplifted by one or two events which have taken place. First off, I took my latest finished book along to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged cowslips, hosta, Tunisian crochet | 14 Comments

Gearing up for summer

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Helen

This year, I don’t intend to have as many pots in the house as I would have done in previous years. For a start, I’ve only got four tomato plants this time, although I could end up with a large … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged homemade compost, hugelculture, sweetcorn, tomatoes | 11 Comments

Gardening fest

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Helen

My daughter is on an extended sleepover at a friend’s house, which gives me ample time to focus on the latest MOOC I am doing. However, I need to take regular breaks in order to process all the information. Which … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged aphids, consequences of digging, currants, mulching | 4 Comments

Different kinds of mulch

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Helen

Yesterday, I reported on the pine mulch round the rhubarb. Today, the post is about a less successful kind of mulch: homemade compost. When I moved the compost bin from the patch where I planted this year’s garlic, I left … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged compost, garlic, mulching | 13 Comments

The crowning glory

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Helen

Today has apparently been the hottest day in April for 70 years. Irrespective of statistics, it has certainly felt more like high summer than the rainy season. In fact, my soil is now bone dry. Never mind, the compost heap … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged butternut squash, mulching, rhubarb | 12 Comments

Citizen Science: Living Soils, Growing Food

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Helen

This morning, I had a muscle spasm in my back, which was not only excruciatingly painful but caused me to collapse. So, that put paid to any major gardening activities, though it didn’t stop me sneaking out once or twice … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Health, Permaculture | Tagged citizen science, Grow Observatory, muscle spasms | 24 Comments

Monitoring the soil

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Helen

I’ve just finished the MOOC offered by the Grow Observatory on soil monitors, such as the Smart Citizen Kit. At first, I wasn’t sure it would be worth my while either buying or making such a thing. After all, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged delayed spring, Grow Observatory, soil moisture | 8 Comments