Category: Hints & Tips

Is Organic Fertiliser as Good as Chemical Fertiliser?

Slow-release organic fertiliser

When I am asked “is organic fertiliser as good as chemical fertiliser”, I have to ask the question – what are chemical fertilisers good for? Good for the plants, good for the soil, good for the person eating the produce that has been grown with it, good for the wildlife, children and pets that invariably…

Chemical-Free Gardening Tips #6

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden. #6: The benefits of nettles in your garden You may feel that nettles, especially stinging nettles, are a problem weed that you need to dig up and discard. But there are actually numerous ways that nettles in your garden can be put to positive use:…

Chemical-Free Gardening Tips #5

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden. #5: Buy in good bugs that eat plant pests and manage the moisture of your soil. You would have probably given your indoor plants a good feed when spring started, but don’t overlook their health needs as the heat of summer approaches (if it approaches!)….

Chemical Free Gardening Tips #4

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden. #4: Attract wildlife and watch your garden flourish. Once you’ve stopped using pesticides in your garden, it’s important to attract wildlife back as they bring in lots of natural predators and help keep pest numbers down. Beetles and caterpillars are a favourite food of hedgehogs….

Organic Gardening Tips for June

The cool spring has continued and we all hope that warmer weather is arriving soon! Greenhouses around the UK will be emptied and window-sills in houses can be cleared of plants as everything can be planted out. Time to harvest rhubarb to make a rhubarb summer pudding! Gardening jobs to do this month: • Water…

Chemical-Free Gardening Tips #3

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden. #3: Plant flowers that attract and feed butterflies to increase pollination. Gardens can act as important stepping-stones between nature reserves and other natural habitats by offering abundant supplies of nectar and food plants for butterflies. In the UK, our gardens cover two million acres of land – that’s…

Organic Gardening Tips for May

May is a month of planting out, so lets hope the frosts stay away so we can! We need some warm sunshine after what has been a wet and cold spring. Fingers crossed it arrives soon… Jobs to do this month: • Plant out tomatoes in unheated greenhouse • Prick out seedlings as they grow…

Chemical-Free Gardening Tips #2

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden.  #2: Ponds: ecological hotspots for biodiversity.  Installing a small pond in your garden can help control garden pests like aphids, provide a valuable home for amphibians, act as a carbon sink and become an ecological hotspot for biodiversity. Follow my son’s lead and add enormous benefits to your…

Chemical-Free Gardening Tips #1

Nasturtium - the best organic pest control

Chemical free tips to rebalance the eco-systems in your garden.  #1: Install a combination of companion plants and herbs.  Companion planting is a time-tested gardening method that enriches and protects vulnerable crops. Planting ‘companion’ plants among other plants can help them to grow by either attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or by acting as a…

Buddha Bowl – Amelia Freer

Next up on our #ngcookalong is the Buddha Bowl recipe from Amelia Freer. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever you have left over in your fridge, and it is wonderful served alongside all sorts of main dishes. INGREDIENTS For the miso tahini dressing: * 85g tahini * 2 cloves garlic,…