The potential for a grow-your-own revolution is already built into urban landscapes – all that is needed is the will and the vision to unleash it. After over 20 years of rural living, a fortnight spent in an urban, edge-of-town setting has reinforced my lifelong belief that gardening – in all its forms – is […]
Unlike the costly high-tech carbon capture and storage strategies being proposed to mitigate climate change, tree-planting is free, simple, people-powered – and proven. I’ve beaten the redwings to it. The crowd has skirted along the edge of the wood and descended on my neighbour’s rowans, where they’re now merrily stripping them of their dazzling orange […]
Quiet, non-polluting, kind to wildlife, people-powered, earth-friendly: scythes win over strimmers on every count – but sometimes you need to see to believe. It’s the sound that pulls them in – the harsh, honing rip of stone against steel isn’t an everyday sound here. As soon as I start sharpening, heads start to turn. ‘Is […]
All gardening makes life better in the here and now – but when you plant trees, you’re also growing a better future. Nowadays, amid the wonder, awe and gratitude I feel whenever I gaze upon trees, lurks something else: an odd feeling of sadness. This has nothing to do with how a particular tree might […]
Every growing season is different – but with gardeners across the country agreeing that this year’s is downright odd, have we reached a tipping point in our gardens and greenhouses? What word would encapsulate your gardening experiences this year – or, for that matter, since last autumn? Unusual? Peculiar? Weird? Abnormal? Only one nails it […]
Now that most open ground is waterlogged for much of the year, under-cover space is more precious than ever – and a group of ingenious growers have found a way to maximise the benefits. Whooping, clapping, cursing, the clunk of metal on metal, and what sounded like a squeaking legion of wheelbarrows, crying out to […]
Will you opt for a classic deadwood construction, or get creative – even weaving in living elements for the long term? Either way, a dead hedge is a win-win for your garden and its wild life. Angry autumn and winter storms harried and toyed with my garden’s boundary fence, leaving sections of it weakened, wobbly […]
In an increasingly chaotic, frenetic world, we need to find a still centre – and for greenhouse gardeners, there’s one safe zone where we can be sure of feeling grounded. It’s all a bit too much, isn’t it? Too volatile, too costly, too unpredictable, too unsettling, and without a doubt, at times, too downright nasty. […]
For passing wild life, a garden made in nature offers a welcoming stopover – and for the gardener, there is the joy of myriad encounters with the creatures that share our world. A gang of long-tailed tits has just swept through my garden on a tepid February breeze, lit up by milky, spring-is-around-the-corner sunshine. Darting […]
As the climate crisis escalates, we need to garden smarter – and there’s no time to lose. AI could deliver the data to fast-track the right decisions for our natural world. We gardeners need help: heavyweight, ultra-intelligent help that can only come from the smartest – and getting smarter by the second – minds on […]
As the stakes rise for our natural world, it’s time to harness the collective potential of our gardens and greenhouses as a force for good. Our life support is on the blink. This prospect would be scary enough if it were happening in one of our hospitals, but what elevates it to terrifying status is […]
Microplastic pollution is one of the most insidious impacts of modern living – and, yes, gardening – but natural pollution-busting solutions abound. One of the great joys of living in the foothills of Eryri – or Snowdonia – National Park is that I get to walk among the clouds. I’m at a low enough altitude […]
