Writing this on a below-freezing day seems appropriate. We’ve just avoided the first frost, lifted our tender perennials, and staked overwintering kale, sprouts, and broccoli. The beds are weeded, scrubbed down and, those that need it, are covered with fleece tunnels. Yet, with twelve more weeks of true winter, and plenty of cold spring nights…
The warnings of the first frost can send us gardeners into a frenzy to get everything in our gardens harvested before the cold hits. Here’s what you need to prioritize. In preparation for the first frost, you should plan to harvest all squash (summer and winter), tomatoes, peppers, flowers, and basil. These plants are not…
Maintaining soil health is one of the most important things you can do to help your garden thrive and the best way to improve the health of your soil is to plant cover crops. The best cover crops you can plant in your garden are alfalfa, barley, buckwheat, clover, daikon radish, fava beans, vetch, oats,…
Hail storms can devastate crops and are particularly challenging for gardeners not just because of the direct damage they cause, but due to the lasting after effects, and accompanying weather.
We actively support wildlife in our garden and encourage it on the allotment too. My friends assume that’s because I’ve got a soft spot for the little critters, and they’re not wrong, but there’s also a deceitfully calculated reason for my wildlife-friendly approach; bribery.
Our gardens are suffering from heatwaves more regularly as climate change becomes harder to ignore. Even in the cold north, drought and baking sun put huge strains on our once lush lawns and native plants. Without reverting to completely new styles of planting, knowing how to protect your garden from a heat wave means saving…