Author Archives: John Walker

Peat-Free Compost: A Buyer’s guide

Posted on May 3, 2012 by John Walker

Having tested more peat-free composts than I could shake a beanpole at, in this article, republished courtesy of Kitchen Garden magazine (June 2012), I recommend my top six peat-frees for the 2012 sowing and growing season. You can read the original 3-page … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles | Leave a comment

Time to Turn Off The Tap

Posted on April 16, 2012 by John Walker

With hosepipe bans now in place in many areas, gardeners everywhere need to start tapping into a more joined-up kind of gardening. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 16th April 2012. Greenhouse gardeners are especially adept at … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon footprint, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, container gardening, energy use, environment, garden centres & gardening industry, greenwash, media, politics, published articles, rainwater harvesting, renewable gardening, water & 'water footprints' | Leave a comment

Gardeners Remain Sidelined by The Government’s Sustainable Growing Media Task Force on Ending Peat Use. Don’t We Count?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by John Walker

With efforts to end peat use apparently being stymied by vested interests, and amid distracting talk of whether all peat is ‘bad’, isn’t it time the government’s Task Force on peat got down to the job of actually talking to … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, peat & peat-free compost | 1 Comment

Peat-Free Compost: A User’s Guide

Posted on April 5, 2012 by John Walker

In this article, republished courtesy of Kitchen Garden magazine (May 2012), I reflect on lessons learned from my 2011 gardening trial of some good, bad and ugly peat-free composts, and offer advice for anyone setting out on the peatless path. … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles | 1 Comment

Open Thread: Buying Peat-free Compost – How Easy Are You Finding It?

Posted on March 23, 2012 by John Walker

With fine weather forecast for many areas, this weekend will see many of us out stocking up on earth-friendly peat-free seed, potting and ‘multipurpose’ compost. I want to take a virtual straw poll of how the UK’s garden suppliers are … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, peat & peat-free compost | 16 Comments

Choosing and Using Peat-Free Compost

Posted on March 23, 2012 by John Walker

Are you looking for a dependable peat-free compost that gives consistently good results? In this article published in The Organic Way (205, Spring 2012), I reflect on some lessons learned from my initial trials with 16 different peat-free composts, and … Continue reading →

Posted in climate- & earth-friendly gardening, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles | 1 Comment

Forget FITs – Roll Out Some Gardening GITs!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by John Walker

High-tech sunshine harvesting is all very well if you can afford it, but there’s an easier and more earth-friendly way to turn sunlight into energy that’s right outside your back door. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological footprints, energy use, environment, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, fossil fuels, gardening footprint, green gardening, organic gardening, packaging, peak oil, published articles, renewable gardening, resilience, transition | Leave a comment

Check That Your Mousetraps Are ‘Bird-friendly’ This Spring

Posted on February 24, 2012 by John Walker

Mousetraps are a humane tool used with reluctance but out of necessity in my greenhouse, especially during winter and spring. A recent unintended ‘catch’ is a melancholy tribute to the determination of our wild birds when the going gets tough. … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, nature & the natural world | 12 Comments

Modified New World

Posted on February 15, 2012 by John Walker

Letting the GM genie out of its biotech bottle hasn’t just changed day-to-day life on our allotments, it’s itching to take over control of life itself. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 15th February 2012. They’ll be … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, eco gardening, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, genetically modified (GM) crops, glyphosate, green gardening, greenwash, media, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, published articles | Leave a comment

Peat-free Compost on Trial: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on January 24, 2012 by John Walker

Inspired (if that’s the right word) by dodgy and persistent claims that all ‘peat-free compost is rubbish’, I’ve set out to find out for myself. Since spring 2011 I’ve been putting around 20 different makes of peat-free compost through their … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, garden compost & composting, greenwash, peat & peat-free compost, published articles | 6 Comments