Kitchen gardens, often referred to as “potagers” in French, have a rich and diverse history dating back centuries. Their origins can be traced to the medieval monasteries of Europe, where monks cultivated herbs, vegetables, and fruits within the confines of their cloisters. These early kitchen
How to protect your precious garden over summer. Summer is the season most of us who love gardening wait all year for. For me it’s collecting baskets full of basil and sweet cherry tomatoes, my kids racing each other to the strawberry patch every day after
Encouraging some of nature’s most magical insects into your garden. Butterflies are somewhere in the same genre as fairies, for me – they’re small, magical, brightly coloured and can often be found amongst flowers. And while it may seem that they were created purely for their
They say that once you start collecting houseplants you can’t stop. I’ll be the first one to admit I have a problem. If a room doesn’t have greenery in it, it feels like something is missing. Although you might share my love of nature, the reality
Tips for turning your backyard into a playground for furry friends. Ever since he was a puppy, our labradoodle, Rocky, has loved being in the garden. And when I say in, I mean in – trampling all over our freshly sprouted little seedlings with his clumsy
The summer garden has to be my favourite garden. It feels so alive with the colours and scents of blooming flowers, the bees and butterflies and fast-ripening fruit and vegetables. It’s the season of abundance and harvest, which is welcome after the slower, quieter seasons. We
Have you ever noticed how, when you’re outdoors immersed in the natural world, you feel energised and invigorated? This relationship with nature is vital to our wellbeing as our modern lifestyles draw us further and further away from it. Spending time in the garden is one
These days we live in such a ‘now’ culture of instant gratification that we can forget to think ahead to future generations and understand how what we do today will have repercussions for them. All of us play a part in ensuring that we enrich
Create your own self-sufficient edible food forest to feed your family year-round. Food forests are thought to be the world’s oldest form of land use and most resilient agroecosystem.The concept conjures up in my mind beautiful Garden of Eden-like scenes of trees heavy-laden with fruit, birdsong
Start your own cost-effective kitchen garden to save on your next grocery shop. With the cost of living soaring, there’s never been a better time to become more self-sufficient. For many families, food is one of their biggest weekly expenses – and one we don’t want to
