Test Gardening Category
There are whole books on the subject of taking cuttings. Whole books about something that is in reality an incredibly easy thing to do. Equally baffling is the fact that most advice is also ridiculously overly-complicated and exacting. No wonder then that many people choose to buy in any extra plants needed, rather than giving …
TAKING CUTTINGS – Why we should all snip, snip away Read More »
I am part of The Growing Kitchen on the Wenlock Barn Estate in Hackney. We started in 2008 with a community garden on a disused piece of lawn. Since then we have expanded to create a foraging garden with a wild area and a community orchard on a separate site. We also have a pond …
This summer solstice weekend saw the return of the Power of Food Festival to Edinburgh’s community gardens. Across the city, 16 gardens threw open their gates and welcomed in the public, to experience first-hand the magical spaces flourishing right under their noses. From Newhaven to Merchiston, Granton to Tollcross, each garden was unique, with its …
AN EDINBURGH FESTIVAL – proving the power of food and community grow your own spirit Read More »
Carol Plummer; engineer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Vivent tells us more about this fascinating subject… Recently there’s been lots of talk in the biology community about whether plants are intelligent. It is an interesting question to consider. What is intelligence? In plants? In people? Do you need a brain to be intelligent? If something is …
PLANT SOUNDS – What can we learn from listening to our plants? Read More »
In the few years since Arthur’s diagnosis (he’s nearly 7) my family and I have been through a lot with our youngest son and found that like most (if not all) non neuro-typical children, he is happiest outside. Actually he’s a charmingly happy little boy most of the time anyway, but he’s utterly in …
HOW GARDENING CONTINUES TO HELP MY AUTISTIC SON TO BLOSSOM Read More »
I’ve been gardening without spending very much at all for years now and what started out as an experiment for my Guardian gardening blog , became over time simply what I do. For me it’s as much about the enjoyment I get from making better use of what I already have around me, as the actual money …
What’s not to love about the ability to turn much of your kitchen waste into fantastic black gold for your fruit and vegetables? Okay, I’ll admit; the idea of a big pile of slowly rotting household waste may not immediately grab you as being a) at all glamorous or indeed b) practical unless you have …
HOW TO MAKE LOVELY CRUMBLY COMPOST – go on you know you want to Read More »
A few years back (and inspired by the community growing initiative in Todmorden), Sahira Ward decided to approach her local council to see what could be done along these lines in her area. Since then, working with friends, family and neighbours, she has gone on to transform a plot of former waste ground at the …
So it’s almost May but looking outside you wouldn’t know it. This week we’ve had snow, hail and a severe chill that has made the prospect of summer seem all that much further away. Yes it’s annoying but rather than getting down in the dumps about it all I suggest embracing the cold with …
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 …
