A green lawn, newly mown and with edges clipped turns even the most ordinary garden into something special. There are many reasons why it pays to start a lawn from seed: seeding is less expensive than buying turf; a wider range of seed mixtures for particular conditions is available from seed than from turf and…
Companion planting is an age-old practice of planting herbs and veggies together to naturally repel pests, attract pollinators or improve fertility. A form of companion planting practised by the Native Americans is called ‘The Three Sisters’, in which sweet corn, pumpkin (or butternut) and runner beans are grown together. Besides making sense from a companion planting…
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veggie grower, you’ll find that garden beans, cucumber and baby marrows offer quick rewards, being fast-growing, prolific and virtually trouble free. Along with tomatoes, lettuce, and spring onions, cucumber is a staple salad veggie, that is crisper and tastier when picked and eaten directly off the vine. Beans…
Here’s a little-known secret: Most vegetables can be grown in containers. If you do not have room for a big vegetable garden, grow vegetables and herbs in pots. Here are a few advantages of container planting: If you live in a townhouse or flat with no space for traditional gardening containers offer you the opportunity…
Have you noticed how well tomatoes and basil grow together? Or how bees are constant visitors to the veggie garden when flowers are planted among the veggies? This buddy system is known as companion planting, an age-old practice that has discovered how certain vegetables, herbs and flowers thrive when grown together. It could be that…
What can I compost? Fruit & vegetable scraps Eggshells Coffee grounds (plus the filter!) Newspaper, non-gloss cardboard, paper towels Leaves (brown = carbon, green = nitrogen) Grass, plant and flower clippings What can’t I compost? Meat Dairy products Processed foods Plastic Man-made substances Metals Step 1: Combine green (wet) and brown (dry) materials Step 2:…