Its the time of year for planting all the vegetables and bedding plants if you want to have them to eat/look at later in the year. At least one person in the household has to remember this and, if they don’t want a mutiny, will need to agree the details of exactly what to plant … Continue reading Leadership comes in many forms
Going on holiday took me away from gardens and allotments and gave me a chance to walk along cliff edges and across moors. The plants you see growing in these conditions are somewhat different to what I am used to seeing and the sea provides a blue (ok, grey) background – again a difference to … Continue reading Another pair of eyes
This is the time of year when we plant seeds in the hope, rather than expectation, that the weather will be right so that we can harvest the results of our labours in 6 months time. We may start the seeds in a pot to increase the chances of success but then it can feel … Continue reading Optimism vs Reality
Apparently gardening is ‘the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture.’ Although it refers to cultivating as well as growing this doesn’t seem to me to capture all the other stuff that I have to do to keep control – cutting down rotten trees, mowing the lawn and so on. Whilst I … Continue reading Define gardening
The great thing about all this rain is that it gives you the excuse not to do the gardening since it will be almost impossible and probably a waste of time. For some of the farmers who are used to ‘gardening’ in all weathers and do it as a living and not just a hobby … Continue reading Dealing with the unexpected
My latest, substantial, harvest is from my quince tree. As far as I can tell it did better than ever this year because of its maturity, together with the benefit of the weather, and the appropriate compost to improve the soil. Business owners are constantly challenged to recruit the right staff and build an effective … Continue reading How to reap what you sow?
As we get into Autumn one of the jobs that needs doing less is the mowing – and I will miss it. On a summers evening I love wandering up and down without really concentrating, admiring the rest of the garden as I pass, relaxing and therefore often letting solutions to problems find their way … Continue reading Improving the Bottom Line: Is it cost effective for me to do the mowing?
As I am faced with a glut of courgettes and raspberries (both of which I love in moderation) I have had to decide whether to invest in an extra deep freeze for storage, try and off load the excess on an already over supplied market, allow perfectly good stock to rot or come up with … Continue reading Coping with seasonality
Whilst I may not know as much about gardening as these thoughts might imply, I have realised that my garden reflects much about me. There are those that want an organised garden that requires minimal effort so they pave the lot. Others justify the wild flower look because it also requires minimal effort. Personally I … Continue reading Wild and free, or organised and predictable?
Garden furniture can take up so much space and never be quite what you want. When friends come round you perhaps just want to sit and chat. When it’s just two of you, or if they are good friends, you might want a table so you can eat. How fantastic is the table/bench that I … Continue reading Flexibility can be the answer
