Category Archives: food & kitchen gardening

Grow Organic With Manchester’s Bud Garden Centre

Posted on November 7, 2012 by John Walker

One of the most engaging ‘twitterships’ that I’ve struck up in the flourishing world of gardening social media is my occasional exchanges with Brenda Smith, co-founder of Bud Garden Centre, in Burnage, Manchester (@BudGardenCentre). We share plenty in common, both … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost & composting, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost | Leave a comment

Resistance is Fertile: How Gardeners Can Help Wave Goodbye to Potato Blight

Posted on November 5, 2012 by John Walker

This summer’s record outbreak of late blight in potatoes has helped shine a light on a quiet but powerful revolution in potato breeding, which aims to banish the disease from our gardens. This is a resistance movement which all gardeners … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, blight-resistant 'sárpo' potatoes, carbon footprint, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, good life, green gardening, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, published articles, resilience | 1 Comment

Who Needs Peat?

Posted on September 3, 2012 by John Walker

Peat-free composts can grow plants just as well as peat-based, but with an added feel-good factor. In this 4-page article republished courtesy of Grow It! magazine (September 2012), I give tips and advice gleaned from my 2012 garden trial of … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon emissions, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological sustainability, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, garden compost & composting, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles | Leave a comment

Find Out About Garden Food Growing With Frodsham Transition Initiative on Saturday 8th September 2012

Posted on August 29, 2012 by John Walker

On Saturday 8th September 2012, I’ll be offering advice and ideas on how to grow more food in your garden as part of Frodsham Transition Initiative’s free ‘drop-in’ event which is being held at Frodsham Community Centre, from 1-5pm. This … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, blog, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, ecological sustainability, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, transition | Leave a comment

Keep Calm and… Put Up a Greenhouse

Posted on July 26, 2012 by John Walker

It’s time to take cover: after another grey, sodden summer, the future for serious garden food growers looks a lot brighter under glass or plastic. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 26th July 2012 Pale, drawn and … Continue reading →

Posted in climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles, rainwater harvesting, renewable gardening, vegan-organic gardening | 1 Comment

Friday 3rd August 2012: All Welcome at Sarvari Research Trust Open Day – Breeders of The Blight-Resistant Sárpo Potatoes

Posted on July 21, 2012 by John Walker

This year is proving to be ideal for the spread of ‘late blight’ (Phytophthora infestans) on both potatoes and tomatoes. Come and hear how the Sárvári Research Trust is collaborating with Bangor University and Pro-Veg Seeds Ltd to combat this disease. Morning … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, blight-resistant 'sárpo' potatoes, blog, carbon footprint, food & kitchen gardening, renewable gardening | Leave a comment

Austerity Gardening

Posted on May 15, 2012 by John Walker

Make do and mend, learn to do without, pull your socks up and get stuck in: it’s time to cultivate some old-fashioned values in the garden. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 15th May 2012. Have you … Continue reading →

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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

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

Bring Me Sunshine: The Power Behind Renewable Gardening

Posted on September 15, 2011 by John Walker

Using a greenhouse to grow your own food will make your garden greener and help trim your ‘ecological footprint’ – but only if you tap into the right kind of sunshine. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 23rd September … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon emissions, carbon footprint, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological footprints, energy use, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, fossil fuels, gardening footprint, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening | Leave a comment