Why make compost?
The short answer is simply that homemade compost is brilliant stuff. It feeds the microbes that build healthy soils, helps improve soil structure and is a great way to recycle […]
Sowing hardy annuals for earlier flowers
There are a lot of flower growers who recommend sowing hardy annuals towards the end of the growing season to produce sturdier plants and earlier flowers the following spring. In […]
The how and why of growing microgreens
Everyone can grow microgreens. In fact, most people will have already… a punnet of cress on the windowsill for a school project almost certainly counts! Microgreens are a great way […]
Diversity is good
If you look at a natural ecosystem, you’ll find a diverse range of plants, animals, fungi and microbes living together, interacting and supporting a sustainable system. Everything from the rainforests […]
Summer herbs… growing dill
Dill is a delicate summer herb that brings a gentle aniseed flavour to dishes. The ferny leaves are best used fresh, but aren’t always easy to buy. For cooks wanting […]
It’s time to sow basil…
Save yourself some money this summer and enjoy your own homegrown basil. One packet of seeds will grow probably more basil than you will need (don’t worry, you can freeze […]
Growing Peas
One of my favourite memories from running a school gardening club was the day we harvested the first peas. One of the girls asked me what she was eating… I […]
Growing tomatoes
Ask a gardener which edible crop they would grow if they had space for only one, and you will often get the answer ‘tomatoes’. If you’ve tasted a just-picked, perfectly […]
Grow one thing… Parsley
If you’re the kind of cook who searches out fresh, seasonal ingredients, growing your own is a natural extension of your passion for good food. But when time and space […]
