In these days of heightened environmental awareness, it is no wonder that more and more of us are making our own compost. Worm Bins – perfect for the small or non-existent garden.
When most people think of irrigation they think of giant industrial sprinklers in fields and, yes, these can be complex and expensive. But now irrigation system manufacturers have recognised that most people just want to take the hassle out of watering their garden, hanging baskets or greenhouse through a cheap, easy-to-use and efficient irrigation system.
We are all becoming increasingly worried about the effects of the agricultural chemicals on our food crops. Here are some natural solutions.
When we move into a new house and plan our garden layout or start a fresh with an existing plot, we will say to ourselves; ‘flowers here, lawn there and vegetables over in that corner there’. Well, why not mix things up a little.
Many of our most loved British wild flowers are under threat due to modern farming practises (pesticides, fertiliser, hedgerow removal), housing development, poor management of our countryside and the explosion in decking, driveways and brick paving. So, should we care less?
For those of us unlucky enough to suffer from broken sleep, we will think nothing of popping down to the local chemist for a chemical remedy. Well, there is a great natural remedy that any of us can try and produce for free.
You can never have too much compost. Organic materials mixed into your soil will improve structure, balance drainage and increase nutrients. Bacteria and other friendly soil dwelling creatures such as earth worms will also benefit from compost as a mulch (left on the surface), or partially dug-in.
In order to win the battle of the pest, we need to become a regular ‘Bill Oddie’. Build a bug a home.
We all love to hate the myriad of wild weeds that grow on our allotment plots and in our gardens, stealing valuable nutrients and crowding and smothering our prize vegetables. But did you know that many of these little invaders can in fact be used to line our precious stomachs?
Many years ago, when I was considering getting my first allotment, my employer at the time said to me “There is no point in getting an allotment. You have to put so many hours in; if you were to work overtime and earn the money, you would have all of the food you’d ever need and live like a king!”
Unfortunately, here in the UK our mild damp climate offers the perfect breading ground for every gardener’s worst enemy – slugs and snails. Our winters are far to soft on these tiny mollusc’s and our springs and autumns, far too damp. Slugs and snails are intolerant of dry conditions and prefer to move about on damp and sticky surfaces, so is it any wonder that a night of rain during dry spells is both a blessing and a curse.
A hot bed is basically a trench filled with organic materials and capped into a mound with top soil. This method was very popular with the Victorians and is one of the most economical and rewarding ways to produce a good crop. You should expect high fertility for at least 4 years or until the mound flattens.
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