I’m all for growing pretty much everything from seed, or taking cuttings wherever i can but sometimes i’ll slip a cheeky cheat or two into the gardening mix. Now is actually a great time to undertake some growing adventures with leftover materials from your weekly food shop. Of course conventional advice often dictates that this produce cannot and should not …
KEENO GROWS – taking on a ‘mad’ gardening challenge
Intrepid trainee gardener Luke Keeno writes for us about his rather exciting (and equally slightly terrifying) project to create a beautiful flowerbed for Bristol Victoria Park this year. Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you ask yourself “Oh my god, what have I agreed to do? I’ll never be able to do that, I’m in way …
SEASONAL EATS from Troed y Rhiw Organics
Pizza night This blog is the first in a series on easy, hearty seasonal food. …
PARTY PLANNING – keep calm and carry on cooking
Mental health campaigner, Amber (aka Budget Jones) follows up her last blog for us by writing about the trials, tribulations and eventual successes of organising a family get together on a budget… As a Jones, it may not surprise you that I have a rather large family (my dad alone has 29 first cousins). So when one of our lot …
GROW OCA AND GET INVOLVED IN A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT
We (at the Guild of Ocabreeders) are a group of scientists, farmers and gardeners working together on a plant breeding project designed to increase food security. The original idea for the project came from Dr. Owen Glyn Smith; better known as Rhizowen. His blog Radix has been a focus for a lot of people working with new and unusual roots …
LET’S GET SEEDY – part 2 more edibles worth trying
I’ve already looked at the easiest contenders in part 1 and how to save seed from the likes of pea, tomato, pepper, lettuce and bean but what about other edibles? I remember when I first got into seed saving for my Guardian gardening blog a few years back, the funny reaction I got from some when I mentioned I was …
The UNSCHOOLERS – raising entrepreneurial, tech savvy kids
Our kitchen is so loud. It is where we all work, play, cook and do our thing. Over the last few days this room has also become our office. The table has turned into a humming, heaving mess of computers, pens, papers and pencils as Anthony and I work on our new project. During all this I have had that …
LET’S GET SEEDY – part 1 the easiest contenders
Why not consider saving some of your own this growing season? There’s nothing new about seed saving. It used to be an integral part of the gardening calendar as local varieties would be lovingly saved and passed through generations of families and communities. So whilst it’s undoubtedly very convenient in the cold (or rain) of winter to be huddled inside, …
On campaigning for mental health on the Isle of Wight
I campaign for health, mental health in particular on the Isle of Wight (where I live). When I first contacted my local MP in 2014 he replied (along the lines of) he wasn’t aware there was a problem on the island… I replied to him that people with mental health issues are some of the least likely people to contact …
Elefante he be cookin’!! Merry Mull(er)ed Wine! …
Welcome back to Elefante he be Cookin’ ! This is my festive edition at this special time when our days are filled with the Baby Jesus and the over consumption of our favourite boozes. So just in case you’re having problems getting as drunk as you would like I’m going to teach you Elefante’s Mull(er)ed Wine! So first open a …