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.

Veg on the edge!

Posted on September 24, 2017

It’s a while since we’ve been up to Saltaire on the train, so it comes as no surprise that changes might have happened in the intervening years. However, I hadn’t expected a vegetable garden by the side of the platform. … Continue reading →

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Forgotten apples

Posted on September 23, 2017

Last autumn, I noticed an apple tree near where I park my car for work which was laden with apples. No one was picking them and they were falling all over the road. This year, I have come across a … Continue reading →

Posted in foraging | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Apple harvest

Posted on September 20, 2017

Today an event took place that I’ve been waiting for since the autumn of 2010. We’d been to an open day at our local organic farm, where I was introduced to R V Rogers nursery near York, which happened to have it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , | 15 Comments

So much red in September

Posted on September 18, 2017

At last, the wadding has found a new home (cf. Waiting for a Freegler, which I posted last week), so that has been one achievement for the day. The other is actually more an achievement for the month. Normally, whether the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, In the kitchen | Tagged , | 12 Comments

The great nutrient collapse

Posted on September 15, 2017

For a couple of years now, I’ve been getting a daily email from a company called Pocket with news articles from around the world. Or rather news which might be other than political and may not be mainstream views. Thus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Waiting for a Freegler

Posted on September 13, 2017

A couple of years ago, I broke down our sofa (donated by a neighbour) to make way for a piano. I tried to salvage as much as I could for repurposing, including the wadding, which I imagined using for cushions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Good for the environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Heuchera gone

Posted on September 11, 2017

I felt quite sad when I looked at the heuchera in the compost bin this afternoon. It’s a healthy plant and would have kept on growing to fill the whole of the front garden, if I’d let it. I’d originally … Continue reading →

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