This past week has actually been very fruitful. I’m still mainly getting herbs and leaves (spinach and rosemary and parsley) and although I’m really looking forward to getting some actual fruits and vegetables, I’m still really enjoying being able to wander out to the garden and harvest these greens whenever I like. Once again I […]
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Ladybird in situ The day the aphids came back was a dark one. There they were, hordes of them swarming and pulsating all over my innocent strawberries and mint. I was beside myself in rage and frustration at their sheer numbers (previously I’ve always pulled aphids off by hand before their populations reach critical levels) […]
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Suspiciously similar seedlings In hindsight, I should have known that putting two types of tomato seedling (the tumbling “Losetto”and the climbing “Magic Mountain” in case you’re interested) together in a large pot separated only by a seedling tray was a mistake. It was perhaps inevitable that a cat would jolt the pot onto the floor […]
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By far, the biggest lesson I’ve learned this year whilst starting to grow as much edible food as possible, is that growing from seed is best. It’s cheaper, more reliable and more satisfying than growing from plugs. I know I keep on banging on about this but I’ve been so very disappointed by the quality […]
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Vile pulsating aphids – look how many there were! The other day I was busily getting ready to plant out a few tumbling cherry tomatoes when a greenfly landed on my hand. I absent-mindedly swiped it off and suddenly focused. A greenfly! Where had it come from? A quick glance around the garden revealed two […]
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Like millions of people my age, I remember the magical boost that spinach gave Popeye. Although we’ve since learned that it’s not quite the powerhouse that the illustrators would have us believe, it’s still extremely good for us and is something I regularly add to our everyday meals. It’s such an easy thing to stir […]
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So far this year I’ve had a couple of horticultural failures, one of which was a cucumber plug. I’d already decided not to use plugs again but rather to grow from seed. I’ve been so disappointed with the quality of the seedlings. I’ve bought them from three of the biggest suppliers in the UK yet […]
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Some time ago I planted up some vertical garden planting bags with mint and strawberries with the intention of fastening the bags to the only empty wall space in the garden. However it turns out that the bags, once planted, are far too heavy to hang on the wall properly, and the bags rip when […]
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I’ve toyed with gardening for years but lately I find myself obsessed with my garden. I wander the patio, chatting with the seedlings and glorying in every extra centimetre that my plants grow. Extra leaves are cause for jubilation and I drag my poor husband into the garden and demand that he admire every emerging […]
Read MoreSo there I was feeling all smug about having a real patch of actual grass that worms could tunnel underneath, that GarlicBoy could feel between his toes, that I could feel good about. And then I cut the grass a couple of times and came to the conclusion that I couldn’t ignore it any more. […]
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London to Land Girl 