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

3rd December 2018 Featured, Winter

Autumn ends, and it’s been a great season here for rich harvests with more to come. No dig helps so much, for two special reasons this autumn and one as we come into winter: moisture retention in dr

14th February 2018 Winter

Early sowings… it’s still early! The beauty of spring is that there is always more light ahead, and usually more warmth (!), so later sowings often catch up. As well as that, they grow mor

21st January 2018 Winter

It’s midwinter, so we can look forward to spring!! Including to sow seeds, just not yet except for undercover sowings of broad beans and exhibition onions. Wait for Valentines Day/mid February to ma

15th December 2017 Winter

This is the last update for five weeks, as we head into a quiet time for gardening, unless you are making a new garden or clearing ground. I am giving many talks, not least the northern tour Jan 30th

30th November 2017 Winter

There is just some kale and mustard leaves to harvest on the beds comparing growth between dig and no dig. Total harvests in 2017 are 103.9kg dig and 119.7kg no dig: each bed is 1.5 x 5m/5x16ft, see

15th February 2017 Winter

Hooray let’s go. Undercover to start with, because outside it’s still vegetable winter, see the amazing differences between spring, summer and winter. I make no outdoor sowings before mid March,

30th January 2017 Winter

Winter’s cold and more-or-less fine is turning in the UK to mild, wet and stormy, for the first half of February. Either way, I recommend you wait before sowing, except for broad beans. Check m

31st December 2016 Winter

A happy new year to my readers, may your gardens be bountiful, and easier to look after. When does the gardening year begin? You could pick any date from October to March, depending where you live (sn