💚 Learn more about the new Lovely Greens book, A Woman's Garden Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things
How to create an easy raspberry trellis for autumn-fruiting raspberries, and tips for alternative designs depending on planting style and raspberry type. When I took on a new plot at the allotment (community garden), it already had a raspberry patch. A previous tenant had created it, and I’d admired it for years as I walked…
Tips on starting a vegetable garden from scratch including ideas for clearing land, mulching, compost, and amending the soil In my experience as an allotment secretary, most new gardeners tend to arrive with the spring flush. Full of energy and excitement they begin digging and planting and generally wearing themselves out. They also have a…
These twenty winter gardening projects and tasks will keep you busy in the colder months and prepare the garden for the year ahead We’re deep into winter, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stay inside, twiddling our green thumbs. There’s plenty to do to prepare for the vegetable gardening year ahead. Building hardscaping,…
A visit to a permaculture food forest and p-patch, how it works, and realistic tips for starting your own urban food forest. Four or five years ago I came across something amazing on the web: news of an urban food forest in my home city of Seattle. Seven acres of land given to a group…
Black plastic mulch can kill grass and weeds to make space for a vegetable garden. It’s an eco-friendly way to clear land without having to use herbicides. Once the excitement of starting a new garden wears off, the questions begin. One of the most common is ‘How do I convert a piece of lawn, or…
Tips on how to plant bare roses including what they are, what to expect when the roses arrive from the grower, and when and how to plant them Two years ago we moved into a new house with a small lawned area to the rear. It had a few fruit trees and a greenhouse but…
Ten of the best pumpkins to grow for eating including the type used to make Libby’s pumpkin puree. Also, tips on the best eating pumpkins to grow in cooler climates and small gardens. There’s a pumpkin for every garden but not all of them are for eating. As anyone who has cooked up a standard…
Tips on how to create a wildflower cottage garden from seed, with perennials, or by cultivating wild plants. A planting style that’s as beautiful and eco-friendly as it is low-maintenance Ornamental gardens come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, but one of the classic styles is a cottage garden. Overflowing with foliage and color, they’re…
Tips for how to create an English cottage garden, including classic plants and flowers, planting methods, and money-saving advice. Any growing space, large or small, can be transformed into the cottage garden of your dreams. Imagine you’re reading a fairy tale, and the heroine of the story happens upon a cottage in the forest surrounded…