Author Archives: Steve Jones

Mindful Gardening

These days there is a buzz about mindfulness. As a gardener I got to thinking about mindful gardening and how to do it. so here goes. Mindful Gardening What is mindful gardening? Before I can answer this question let’s break the words up Mindful from the word Mindfulness so What’s Mindfulness? Mindfulness According to wikipedia “Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.” Gardening According to dictionary.com “the act of cultivating or tending a garden.” So… → Read More

Easy Basic Recipes

Like most things in life, every thing is easy once you know how. For some reason chefs like to create mystery around food production. So here are some of my easy basic recipes … and trust me once you’ve used them a couple of times you won’t need them. So easy basic recipes from scratch. Easy Basic Recipes The 1st one I’m going to share with you is so simple, and yet the very thought of it used to break me out in a sweat. Short Crust Pastry If you have ever mixed up a batch of cement then you… → Read More

Is the Brown Tailed Moth Invasion the Latest Attack from Europe?

Just lately the news seems to be constantly reporting on one sensational insect infestation or another. Which leads me to pose the question is the brown tailed moth invasion the latest attack from Europe? If I was of a suspicious nature I would probably be getting paranoid about now. So let me list the claims that are coming from the news reports recently. The Spanish Slug Invasion A few weeks ago my local news channel was full of this “super Slug” that has invaded our shores and is wreaking havoc for landowners and gardeners alike. This misnamed Gastropod that actually… → Read More

5 Reasons Why An Extended Summer is A Good Thing

This year we have had a heatwave extending into late September. This got me thinking about the bonus that this gives us. Before I start my list, I would like to point out that as a result of an extended summer the pollinating insects are keeping busy which leads to extended crops So here are my 5 reasons why an extended summer is a good thing. 5 Reasons Why An Extended Summer Is a Good Thing 1. The bean season goes on longer. I’m not sure my family will agree that this is a good thing, but I happen to… → Read More

The Spanish Slug Invasion

There is a new predator in your garden and you should be prepared for all out war. You work hard to prepare your soil to grow your plants and vegetables, you watch for slugs and snails during wet periods. Usually you can relax once the weather warms up as the slugs and snails keep to the shade and stay in underground… …. Not any more the Spanish Slug invasion has begun. The Spanish Slug Invasion They arrived by stealth, and as we speak they are probably invading your plot, make no mistake, this is no joke. Something has to be… → Read More

The Easiest Pumpkin Soup Recipe Ever

Ever grown a few pumpkins but don’t have a lot of time to prepare them?……… Or maybe you just don’t have a lot of time to cook a healthy filling meal. Well this is the easiest recipe ever…………. ………….This not only works for pumpkins but also for Butter nuts and most other winter squashes. So you have a pumpkin and 20 minutes to spare well here’s the easiest pumpkin soup recipe ever. Ingredients 1 Pumpkin (peeled and diced) 1 Onion (peeled and finely chopped) 2 Potatoes (peeled and diced) 1 Chilli (chopped) 1 Carrot (peeled and chopped) 1 Stick of… → Read More

How To Freeze Runner Beans

runner beans

So after just coming home from the allotment with 15 lb of runner beans I decided it’s time to fill the freezer. There are, after all only so many runner beans you can eat, so here’s how to freeze runner beans in easy steps. How To Freeze Runner Beans The beans are picked and washed. That’s the only real difference on freezing runner beans to freezing broad beans, as broad beans have to be podded. Step One Step one is in two parts, firstly fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Whilst the water is boiling… → Read More

Old Fashion Garden Sayings

Red sky at night

There are a lot of old fashion garden sayings handed down through the years from our grandparents. Many times we dismiss them as sweet old ramblings. Once you look closely at them, you can see a lot of truth and it can be very helpful to remember these sayings and garden accordingly. So I have selected the ones I have heard most and I will share them with you in this post. Old Fashion Garden Sayings This first lot are mostly weather forecasts, I suppose using plants and nature as sign posts. “Red sky at night shepherds delight, red sky… → Read More

How To Grow Leeks

Leeks are one of my favourite winter vegetables, with their subtle onion overtones but they are usually expensive in the shops so let’s have a look at how to grow leeks. How To Grow Leeks The first step in growing leeks is to select the variety you wish to grow. It is possible to buy leek plants to plant out in spring but I think it is much more fun to start off your own seeds and then transplant them to the plot when they are big enough. Another good reason to start them off yourself is the amount of… → Read More

How to help plants to grow organically

As you know if you follow my posts, I like to grow my food organically. That doesn’t mean I don’t use fertilizer, I do but obviously I use organic fertilizer. So with that in mind I thought I would share with you the various feeds etc… I use on my plot. So how to help plants grow organically. How to help plants grow organically All plants need feeding at some point during their growing cycle. I usually feed mine when either they are in flower or, in the case of brassicas, when they look slightly off colour. The only vegetables… → Read More