14th February 2023 Featured, Winter

Many of us have itchy fingers, waiting to sow seeds, and now is a good time to begin. On the understanding that we are reasonably likely, in temperate climates, to have suitable conditions for transpl

1st February 2023 Featured, Winter

In the UK, we’re just having a few days of milder weather. It’s tempting to sow some seeds! Experience though has taught me to wait, play the averages and increase my chances of success. D

15th January 2023 Featured, Winter

Find garden advice for this time in my recent newsletter of 15th January. Mid January 2022, be ready for the season. Although it’s quiet in the garden, you can potentially be busy with jobs to

2nd January 2023 Featured, Winter

I wish you a healthy and productive gardening year. Photo above is 2nd January 2023. In front is rye for grain. It’s the quietest time, a chance for me  to think website structure. Much as I lo

29th November 2022 Featured, Winter

For no dig gardens, there is not a huge amount of preparation before winter. You may be struggling to find space to spread compost, which is a nice problem when beds are still full of vegetables. We s

19th February 2022 Featured, Winter

January was sunny and calm, February has been dramatic and especially with recent high wind. Nearby at Yeovilton there was a 72mph gust at 1pm on 18th (Storm Eunice), and I’m grateful that the d

27th January 2022 Featured, Winter

Slowly the energy rises in February. I love the feeling of growth stirring, but be patient before making first sowings. I wait until mid February, then sow under cover radish and turnip multisown, let

29th December 2021 Winter

No dig gardening and farming are easier because soil can “soak up” the extremes of weather. For example by draining freely, as in the German floods of July this year, and by holding moistu

23rd November 2021 Featured, Winter

The wonderful and life-increasing jobs of early winter, if you have not already done them, are to feed soil organisms with mulches of organic matter on the surface. We are using 2.5cm (measure after i

12th February 2021 Winter

Cold weather has been gripping much of the northern hemisphere this February so far, but days are lengthening! Some sowings can happen now, but there is no rush and see my comments below, where also I

30th January 2021 Featured, Winter

February looks to be cold.  And we have not done much garden work in January… oh wait, I bought an acre of new land, the pasture to south east of Homeacres, which used to have horses. I find it

29th December 2020 Winter

Winter has finally arrived here with frost most nights. and days noticeably colder, as low as 2 C 36 F maximum. This is okay! Much better to have cold now than in the spring, and all being well you ha

28th November 2020 Featured, Winter

Autumn has continued very nicely here, as in my new video. November has been almost as mild as October, and less wet with a close-to-average 76mm/3in rain. However winter is now arriving in the north

12th February 2020 Featured, Winter

I can feel the energy as daylight increases rapidly. In just one week here, we gain 23 minutes between sunrise and sunset, plus the sun’s arc is noticeably higher. For undercover sowings, this means

26th January 2020 Featured, Winter

February, hold your horses. No sowing just yet. Make the first undercover sowings after mid month and even then no rush. Meanwhile here is a cheerful thought – If winter comes, can spring be far

5th January 2020 Featured, Winter

ND3 New decade, no dig, no dogma. If you aren’t yet using the no dig method, now is a fine time to start – cover the weeds, feed the soil. Then you plant into compost, in early spring. See

5th December 2019 Featured, Winter

December 2019 The new gardening year is already underway, with winter’s simple and quick bed preparation of my no dig method. 1 Clear any plant residues and weeds – or if a lot of weeds la

23rd February 2019 Featured, Winter

It feels like an early spring here, yet it’s still winter, just! Choosing what to sow and plant becomes confused when the seasons go out of order, and generally it’s best to stick with the dates y

9th February 2019 Winter

Be careful of sowing too early, there is no rush in spring because later sowings often catch up as it warms and lightens. For example I plan to sow tomatoes on 18th March this year. In the next two we

18th January 2019 Featured, Winter

Charles' update of seasonal garden jobs which is mainly mulching at this time of year, some winter harvests too, and no sowing yet!

13th December 2018 Featured, Winter

14th December, my last blog/update of the year, and until late January. Plenty to read and digest here, and I shall send another newsletter in early January. I hope you enjoy the new website. We have