Author Archives: Helen

About Helen

I have always been interesting in living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle and used to do what I could. Now, I have come to realise that we have reached such a point in terms of environmental degradation that it is more important - perhaps - to focus on building resilience. I therefore do as much as I can to reuse, grow my own and encourage a supportive community, for example. I also keep reading and learning all the time.

An altogether better place

Posted on August 9, 2020

You Were Gone by Tim Weaver is perhaps one of the most intriguing books I have read this year. It was lent to me by a distant neighbour in Altofts, near Wakefield. Having now finished this book and duly returned … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, soil management | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Not used for a year

Posted on August 8, 2020

How often do you do a job and then wish you’d done it differently? In my case, the Green Johanna has turned out to be in the wrong place. First, I damaged to top growth of the hazel next to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, soil management | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Hackfall

Posted on August 2, 2020

I don’t always read my emails. There are so many that the majority reach the bin before they are opened. Then occasionally there is one which I’m glad I took the trouble to look at. One such the other day … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, forest garden | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

End of August (oops, that should read July!) flower round-up

Posted on July 30, 2020

My flowers might not be the magnificent display that I see elsewhere in the blogging world but they have brought a smile to my face when I’ve popped out for a breather this week. Overall, it seems there are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Pond and bog garden | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Sewing an Upcycled T-Shirt Face Mask

Posted on July 29, 2020

Hurray! Today my face shields arrived. However, after reading the post below, I am almost envious of those who can wear a cloth mask. I’ve tried several patterns for face masks over the past few months, but the one I … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Both sides of the border

Posted on July 26, 2020

This last week, we had a few days away, staying in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The original focus of the holiday had been to visit Bamburgh Castle after hearing about the recent finding of Viking remains and artefacts there. However, this turned out … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, Days out, soil management | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Someone has a sense of humour!

Posted on July 24, 2020

On Tuesday, I returned to my birthplace. Well, not the hospital or a part of Stockton-on-Tees that I had ever been to before but RSBP Saltholme. We were on our way up to Northumberland for a short break and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Slow burn echinacea

Posted on July 18, 2020

I’ve lost count of how many years ago I bought a pack of echinacea seeds, sowed them and tended the seedlings till they were ready to go out in the front garden. Nothing happened, they appeared to die. So, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Thirty a week?

Posted on July 16, 2020

There seemed to be quite a lot of interest in the post ‘Over 60’ I wrote a few days ago. One question I couldn’t answer was how much fruit and veg should we perhaps be consuming in a given time-frame. … Continue reading →

Posted in foraging, Gardening, Health | Tagged | 15 Comments

Nine-star broccoli

Posted on July 15, 2020

It’s a few years since I was introduced to The Backyard Larder. This is a specialist nursery which sells perennial vegetables. I get the impression that business has been booming since lockdown, which is undoubtedly one of the plus sides … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, perennials | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments