If food waste was a country it’s carbon footprint would be the third largest behind the USA and China. Therefore it is very important that we don’t waste food. There is always some waste such as vegetable peelings, apple cores, banana skins,etc and the way this is dealt with in many cities is to transport […]
Compost to compost
I’ve just had the joy of turning one compost heap into a new bay with the help of our new puppy Charlie. The compost looks fantastic this year, probably due to the introduction of chickens to the garden last year which has resulted in a lot of chicken manure rich wood chip which I have […]
Gooseberries and sawfly
After being reasonably successful last year with our gooseberries – we sheet mulched under the plants to stop sawfly – we are going to experiment with Poached Egg Plant this year. I came across this as a recommendation a few years ago and we now have enough plants to try them out under the gooseberries. […]
Planting under fruit trees (2)
So, following on from my previous post, here are some of the plants that my research has come up with for companion planting with fruit trees. I would welcome any comments from anyone who has tried any of these and I will report back on my experiments. – daffodils. These are early flowering and attract […]
Planting under fruit trees (1)
I have recently been researching what is best to plant under fruit trees. Traditionally many people have grass with a clear patch immediately below the trees as most fruit trees are relatively shallow rooted and it is thought that grass, and most other plants, will compete with the tree. Following my Permaculture Design Course (PDC) […]
Water supply
After I completed my Permaculture Design Course (PDC) I decided to obtain a 1000l IBC (industrial bulk container) to capture and store water in over the winter months ready for the summer. It is a bit ugly so I tucked it away behind one of my sheds (I have two!) and ran a hose pipe […]
New path and “Elder” HugelKultur bed
Our new neighbours recently removed a tall conifer hedge which shaded a corner of our garden for about half the day. First thing in the morning it is shaded by a tall birch tree in our hedge. I hadn’t done much planning for this corner, it is next to the compost bins, used to have […]