Category Archives: renewable gardening

Sustainable Sowing

Posted on March 31, 2014 by John Walker

Instead of giving any more time to the myths about sowing in peat-free composts, put them to the test. You’ll find they do the job as well as peat – without the ecological price-tag. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon emissions, carbon footprint, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, ecological sustainability, environment, ethics, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost, green gardening, greenwash, media, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles, renewable gardening | Leave a comment

Added Values

Posted on November 20, 2013 by John Walker

The way we garden reveals a lot about our outlook on the world. It comes down to whether we feel gratitude to planet Earth – or think it owes us. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 19th … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, environment, ethics, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost & composting, green gardening, media, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles, renewable gardening | Leave a comment

Snowball Effect

Posted on October 7, 2013 by John Walker

Some of the drivers behind the peat-free roll-out are surprising and not all are admirable – but that doesn’t detract from the benefits to the gardener and the natural world. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 7th October 2013 There’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, carbon footprint, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, environment, ethics, fossil fuels, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost, green gardening, greenwash, media, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles, renewable gardening | Leave a comment

Planet-friendly Pest Busting

Posted on July 15, 2013 by John Walker

Simple solutions guided and powered by nature lie at the heart of my eco-friendly approach to pest control. In this 4-page article republished courtesy of Grow It! magazine (July 2013), I explain how my lazy way of keeping plant pests in check is simple, … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, ecological footprints, ecological sustainability, environment, food & kitchen gardening, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, published articles, renewable gardening | Leave a comment

On the Slime Trail

Posted on May 15, 2013 by John Walker

With our recent wet summers, we need to adopt more of a ‘whole garden’ approach when it comes to curtailing the ravages of slugs and snails. In this 4-page article republished courtesy of Grow It! magazine (May 2013), I explain why I … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, carbon footprint, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, food & kitchen gardening, gardening footprint, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening | 1 Comment

Cheat Your Wheelie Bin

Posted on March 15, 2013 by John Walker

Much of what goes into our ‘wheelie’ bins can be transformed into food for your soil. In this 3-page article republished courtesy of Grow It! magazine (March 2013), I explain how you can cheat on both your bin and your local landfill … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, food & kitchen gardening, garden compost & composting, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, published articles, recycling, renewable gardening, soil | 1 Comment

Crowd Cultivation

Posted on December 30, 2012 by John Walker

What do you get when you cross crowd funding with plant breeding? At the Sárvári Research Trust, it’s the chance for ordinary gardeners to have a stake in the future. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 20th … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, blight-resistant 'sárpo' potatoes, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, energy use, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, fossil fuels, gardening footprint, genetically modified (GM) crops, green gardening, media, organic gardening, published articles, renewable gardening | 1 Comment

Choosing Delusion

Posted on November 23, 2012 by John Walker

We’re told that whether or not to use garden chemicals is a personal choice. That may be so, but it needs to be an informed choice – and we’re not being told the whole story.  By John Walker. Published on … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon footprint, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, energy use, environment, ethics, garden centres & gardening industry, gardening footprint, green gardening, greenwash, media, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, packaging, pesticides in the garden, politics, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening | 2 Comments

Gardening’s Own Goal

Posted on October 12, 2012 by John Walker

Found in some lawn weedkillers, the chemical clopyralid is a ticking time bomb – but we could defuse it right now if we learnt from past mistakes. By John Walker. Published on the Hartley Botanic website, 28th August 2012. Winner … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, environment, ethics, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, peat & peat-free compost, pesticides in the garden, politics, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening, soil, weedkiller residues | 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