Retired, living in Scotland and trying to find interesting things to grow. I'm a recycler and upcycler but I am not an expert in either.
It was so soul-destroying seeing new life burst out in plants, only to have it mowed down by a late frost. The weather was warming up, plants in the greenhouse doing well and starting to take up space. A few days in the sun to harden them off, and since all was well, they were … More Ice Age In Spring
With the feeling I was getting somewhere at last, I was about to start filling the larger, raised bed, then thought this was the opportunity to turn it into a square foot gardening bed (SFG), but didn’t know too much about it. Mel Bartholomew, a civil engineer, was the inventor of the system and he … More A New Start 3 – Raised Beds And SFG
My problem with raised beds as with everything else, is space. I couldn’t see how I could fit a decent-sized raised bed, in a postage stamp-sized garden. The answer came from one of my fellow isolating neighbours when he asked if I would like some pallet collars, although I wasn’t really sure what they were … More A New Start 2 – The Raised Beds
It’s been a long time since I blogged anything. Probably with good reason. Illness was the first to slow me down, so I was totally unorganised for the start of the sowing season, more unorganised than usual that is. The weather wasn’t good but in spite of that, I had been considering ways of making … More A New Start
There is no excuse for anyone not to grow something green. No matter how small the space, either inside or outside, there will be something anyone can grow. Many of us would have experimented at school in growing cress on blotting paper, although fast-growing mustard and cress will last a bit longer if grown in … More Small Things Matter
You learn something new everyday and here in Scotland, the unassuming little bug which seems to be everywhere, we know as ‘slaters’. Elsewhere, they have different names but even as a ‘pill bug’ we understand what they are. We find them around old property and especially where there is old, decaying wood. As they were … More Well I Never!
At long last I got around to sowing tomato seeds. Unfortunately I don’t have room for all my choice in the greenhouse. I still have to leave room for courgettes, cucumbers and peppers. In spite of trying to reduce the number of tomatoes by not buying any new varieties this year, there are still two … More Bring On The Ladies
Throughout the year, and especially at the beginning of the new year, seed catalogues flood through the letter box like there was no tomorrow. Besides the hard copy of the catalogue, you also get bombarded with emails from the same companies. If you do order something, then adverts pop up on your computer’s browser. It … More Don’t Believe The Adverts
I should never be surprised when seeds, which have been put in five-litre water bottles and tossed outside, actually start to grow. That’s how nature intended it to be, not in plastic bottles of course, but to battle their way through winter for only the strongest to survive. I am much later than normal at … More Hitting The Bottle
I’ve met a number of people over the years who have varying degrees of interest in the garden. Many have ideas quite different to mine, but that doesn’t matter, it’s what makes it interesting. I’ve been described as an enthusiastic amateur, but actually I think ‘hobbyist’ might fit better. I don’t like ‘twee’ gardens where … More Gardening For All
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