Tag Archives: rats

A scream in the garden

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Helen

Friday was an unexpectedly sunny day but cool enough for some heavy-duty work in the back garden. In view of the recent rat activity in the dakek compost bin I was keen to eliminate the issue. Having made the holes … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, soil management, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

It is what it’s supposed to be

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Helen

As the apples on my daughter’s tree were falling off in September, I asked her to pick them before they were all lost. They were on the small side, or rather they were much smaller than the one we sampled … Continue reading →

Posted in forest garden, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

A waste of money?

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Helen

After waxing lyrical about my bokashi composting system in the early days, I am now ready to accept its downside and move on. The final straw came this morning when I emptied the bottom of the regular compost bin to … Continue reading →

Posted in soil management | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Just pungent or rotting ?

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Helen

The pot where the wild garlic was being stored, after its removal from the original bed (in order to get rid of ground elder and in readiness for the day lilies), didn’t have big enough drainage holes in it. Thus, … Continue reading →

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

Carbon sequestration and compost

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Helen

I could have been wrapping Christmas presents but with my half day’s annual leave I decided to take advantage of a lull in the rain – the sun even came out! – to get out in the garden. Years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, soil management | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Accepting the inevitable

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Helen

It would be an exaggeration to say that my morning has been blighted by what I saw when I opened the dining room windows this morning. I wasn’t chuffed, though. It seems the rats don’t like pickled chillis, bay leaves … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Never too much soil

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Helen

I’m now keeping my fingers crossed that the rat which has conveniently turned my compost heap doesn’t take a fancy to the bed I have constructed by the back door. Last year, the ill-fated hugel bed I built about this … Continue reading →

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

No longer longing for rosemary

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Helen

Last year, I was hopeful that the rosemary I had sown would grow. And indeed it has but it needs to be moved from its current location, which is where the pond is going to be. So, now it is … Continue reading →

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

Euphorbia

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Helen

Christmas has felt most peculiar this year. Perhaps it is because we had our big lunch with Granny and Granddad yesterday and in the same day I booked a cookery class for my birthday next year! In any case, my … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Gardening, presents, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Homemade bonemeal

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Helen

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, the idea of buying bones for stock and then bashing them into bonemeal might make you feel sick. Once upon a time, I was a vegetarian and certainly I wouldn’t have been able to do … Continue reading →

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