Autumn gardening is less about making everything look perfect and more about spotting the jobs that will actually matter once the weather turns colder, wetter and windier. A little attention now can save a lot of trouble later.
By late August, the kitchen garden can start to look a little tired around the edges. The courgettes have stopped looking quite so enthusiastic, the beans are slowing down, the tomatoes are finally ripening faster than you can eat them, and there is usually at least one patch where you find yourself thinking, Well, that’s…
Permaculture sounds more complicated than it is. Here’s what it actually means, the three basic ethics behind it, and why you may already be using permaculture ideas in an ordinary garden without realising it.
Don’t throw away autumn leaves. Turn them into free leaf mold to improve garden soil, hold moisture and mulch flower beds. This simple guide explains the easy bag and wire-bin methods, which leaves to use and how long leaf mold takes.
Healthy garden soil is full of life, even though most of it is too small to see. Here is a simple introduction to the bacteria, fungi, worms and other tiny workers living beneath your plants—and a few easy ways to help them do their job.