Category Archives: soil

Drought of Good Sense

Posted on September 15, 2010 by John Walker

Are gardeners really the ‘victims’ when hosepipe bans are announced – or are we just the unwitting pawns of a gardening industry running dry on ecological consciousness? By John Walker. Published in Kitchen Garden, September 2010. Victimised, threatened and dealt … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, container gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, food & kitchen gardening, garden centres & gardening industry, garden compost & composting, greenwash, organic gardening, published articles, rainwater harvesting, soil, water & 'water footprints' | Leave a comment

Ahead of the Carbon Curve

Posted on December 15, 2009 by John Walker

Keeping food waste from landfill, bins full of thrashing composting worms, mindful soil stewardship and less digging can all help ensure a brighter future for our biosphere. By John Walker. Published in Kitchen Garden, December 2009. You know, I’m sure … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon emissions, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, environment, food & kitchen gardening, garden compost & composting, no-dig gardening, organic gardening, published articles, soil | Leave a comment

Going With My Guts

Posted on November 15, 2009 by John Walker

It’s time to stop using our heads when wrangling over the pros and cons of growing food organically, and trust more in the visceral. By John Walker. Published in Kitchen Garden, November 2009. The next thousand words or so are … Continue reading →

Posted in climate- & earth-friendly gardening, eco gardening, environment, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, garden compost & composting, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, published articles, soil | Leave a comment

Drinking the Blues

Posted on September 15, 2009 by John Walker

As concern grows over the pollution of drinking water by metaldehyde slug pellets, what role are pellet-happy gardeners playing, and why aren’t our gardening media mentioning it? By John Walker. Published in Kitchen Garden, September 2009. What’s a quick way … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, eco gardening, environment, ethics, food & kitchen gardening, garden centres & gardening industry, gardening footprint, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening, soil, water & 'water footprints', weedkiller residues | Leave a comment

Organics on the Edge

Posted on September 15, 2009 by John Walker

On a visit to Hough Garden, near Alderley Edge in Cheshire, I discover a decorative organic kitchen garden infused with lessons from nature. By John Walker. Published in The Garden, September 2009. Countless cups of tea, careful observation of nature and … Continue reading →

Posted in eco gardening, ecological sustainability, environment, food & kitchen gardening, garden compost & composting, good life, green gardening, nature & the natural world, no-dig gardening, open gardens, organic gardening, published articles, soil | 2 Comments

Renewable Gardening

Posted on October 15, 2008 by John Walker

Just how sustainable and climate-friendly your gardening is depends on what kind of sunlight you use to make it happen. By John Walker. Published in Organic Gardening, October 2008. What kind of sunlight are you running your garden on? It … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon emissions, climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, food & kitchen gardening, fossil fuels, garden compost & composting, organic gardening, pesticides in the garden, plastic, pollution, published articles, renewable gardening, soil | Leave a comment

Just a Bit of Veg?

Posted on September 15, 2007 by John Walker

Our gardens can tick most of the boxes needed to achieve the much-vaunted ‘low carbon’ life. I explain how my own patch is at the heart of my plan for lighter living. By John Walker. Published in Organic Gardening, September … Continue reading →

Posted in allotments, carbon footprint, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, environment, food & kitchen gardening, food miles, fossil fuels, garden compost & composting, gardening footprint, good life, green gardening, nature & the natural world, organic gardening, published articles, resilience, soil, vegan-organic gardening | Leave a comment

Intensive Care

Posted on August 15, 2007 by John Walker

As weather patterns shift and water supplies dwindle, can we sustain the container gardening craze in its present form? By John Walker. Published in Organic Gardening, August 2007. Love them or loathe them, there’s something mesmerising about those TV dramas … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change & global warming, climate- & earth-friendly gardening, container gardening, easy gardening, ecological sustainability, energy use, environment, ethics, gardening footprint, green gardening, organic gardening, overconsumption, peat & peat-free compost, pesticides in the garden, published articles, rainwater harvesting, soil, tv gardening & celebrities, water & 'water footprints' | Leave a comment