Wall planters before I know that I bang on and on about having to use every last bit of space in my little garden and the truth of the matter is that it all really comes down to my desire for GarlicBoy to have some space to play. That manicured handkerchief sized bit of lawn […]
Read MoreCarrots have an inherent flaw in their space requirements. Yes, you can plant teeny “Paris market” spherical carrots, but if you want normal long rooted carrots the planting directions generally require about 30cm between the rows. So if, like me, you have a tiny urban garden with a paltry four raised beds, what are you […]
Read MorePlanting out seedlings, as long as they’re relatively robust, is something that even young children can get involved in. At two years old GarlicBoy already loves raking the soil smooth and watering it with his little watering can before using a dibbler to make holes and gently lower the seedlings inside and coving them with […]
Read MoreSetting everything out before we starts ensures the two year old is interested I always feel so brutal when I have to thin out seedlings and I really have to force myself to do it. I spur myself on with memories of the Great Garlic Failure of 2015 and try to remind myself that life […]
Read MoreEdible flowers are such beautiful and versatile food decorations. Begone, enormous nauseating piles of buttercream icing in weird colours. Never darken my doorstep again, boring shredded leaves. Shoo, silver balls, it is edible flowers from here on in. They’re also a really fun garnish to prepare. I make a traditional Simnel cake every year on […]
Read MoreI was rather surprised to see what looked like an outdoor hoover when visiting the house of a friend recently. “It is a hoover” she laughed when I asked what it was “to clean debris off the grass”. You see, she’d had that dreadful fake astroturf stuff installed and as it’s fake, things like leaves […]
Read MoreI wonder if I’m being a bit too ambitious with all of the unusual plants that I’m taking on this year? First the hanging raspberry (which has admittedly keeled over as promised but has yet to produce any fruiting fronds), and now this, a climbing strawberry. I’m trying the perennial “Mount Everest” climbing strawberry plant. […]
Read MoreOne of the problems with plugs (rather than growing herbs and plants from seed) is that even once transplanted, they are sometimes quite sparse and patchy in their new home. In my herbal vertical garden planters some of the plants, parsley and thyme for example, have really taken off and have spread wonderfully to fill […]
Read MoreHarvest has been rather sparse thus far, still just herbs. But I’m very pleased with it, being able to pop outside with herb scissors whenever I’m cooking is so satisfying. I keep on forgetting to photograph my harvest though. Will you believe me if I tell you I’ve had multiple bunches of flat parsley and […]
Read MoreWhen gardening with a toddler you’ve got to consider various factors that maybe wouldn’t apply were you just trying to grow edible food for adults. You have to consider planting as much variety as you can, planting things that all look very different so that he learns to harvest various different crops, and also what […]
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