tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21167261292589651402024-03-14T03:14:58.816+00:00The London Vegetable GardenOne man's mission to show England that anyone can grow vegetables, no matter how small the space they have to work with. Welcome to the London Vegetable Garden.Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-68275079988157522042015-05-27T16:45:00.000+01:002015-05-27T16:46:31.344+01:00Going Under Cover… The Pleasure of Polytunnels!With the British climate able to be termed ‘average’ at best, gardeners in the UK look for any help they can when it comes to growing fruit and vegetables. If, like me, your garden resides in the Peak District on the outskirts of Manchester, then this help is needed even more than usual!
Polytunnels offer a flexible and versatile space to grow fruit, vegetables and plants. Due to theCallumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-66999492986726498552015-05-05T08:16:00.002+01:002015-05-05T08:16:33.628+01:009 Steps To Prepare Your Garden For Summer
9 Steps To Prepare Your Garden For Summer
Summer is on its way at last, the sun has finally started to
shine and hopefully you have already started spending a little more time in the
garden. You may even have a BBQ planned (although don't forget to have a backup
plan!)
But have you started
to prepare your garden for the summer months?
Sure, summer is perhaps the easiest month for your Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-17058508037477216272015-01-30T08:53:00.001+00:002015-01-30T08:54:29.046+00:00Weatherproof Your GardenIt’s been a typically British winter so far – by which we mean unpredictable. Mild one minute followed by freezing conditions the next, it’s no wonder if your garden’s looking a bit shell-shocked. The idea of weatherproofing your garden might sound really difficult, but it’s just a case of using the right types of plants to last all seasons. The folks at Wonderlawn, who produce state-of-the-art Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-35374056093086413942015-01-19T09:47:00.002+00:002015-01-19T09:48:45.894+00:004 Affordable Ways to Give Your Garden a MakeoverRegardless of the size and location of a garden, there’s something calming about sitting back and putting the feet up in a well-maintained outdoor space that offers the opportunity for relaxation. Unfortunately, all gardens don’t offer this opportunity. Whether you consider yourself to be a green-fingered expert or a complete novice gardener, there are plenty of affordable ways that you can give Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-17210693718131534022014-12-03T15:43:00.000+00:002014-12-03T15:43:03.169+00:00Garden Fences: A Guide
Garden fencing can help to create a more private garden area. Fences come in all range of sizes and styles,
meaning budding gardeners can create a personalised environment that’s as
unique as their garden.
However, fences
are not just about building boundaries, but can add real character and style to
your garden. At the London Vegetable
Garden, I like to ‘Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-62683485340132356422014-11-26T13:33:00.001+00:002014-11-26T14:48:57.717+00:00Bringing the Outdoors Indoors: Plants in the Home at Christmas
Log fires, blankets, television and far too many chocolates and wine: at Christmas, it’s often easy to hunker down and hibernate, as we shut out the outside and focus on the warmth and comfort of life indoors. Yet bringing the outdoors inside can be a hugely rewarding and enjoyable feature of the home at Christmas too.
There can be no grander visible symbol of bringing the outdoors Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-51316282879697256932014-06-18T11:43:00.001+01:002014-06-18T11:43:39.022+01:00How To Keep The Perfect Summer Garden
With what promises to be a ‘flaming June’ upon us, we can finally
enjoy our gardens. With the evenings getting longer, not to mention warmer, we
can turn towards colour and variety in our gardens - providing we know how to
look after them!
Good
vibes
A
survey reported in The Telegraph
has found gardening can help us feel renewed. Recent research carried out by the National
Gardens SchemeCallumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-45420270014977598582014-06-15T12:02:00.000+01:002014-06-15T12:08:28.223+01:00Hozelock Reviews: Pico Reel and WonderweederBe it balcony, patio, or small garden, the gardener who operates within compact spaces is constantly looking for ways to use space efficiently. For me, space has always been a premium, and while my beautiful Peak District garden is a world away from the limited confines of my Hackney balcony, I remain a gardener held accountable by space.
The transition from balcony to allotment to garden Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-21401549159372615062014-06-15T11:57:00.000+01:002014-06-15T11:57:23.273+01:00Nutscene TwineOne of the many things I love about gardening is its timeless appeal. While the years pass and trends change, gardening remains a simple, age-old pastime that connects us with the past and the very nature we live in.
One of the timeless tools I use is my grandfather’s old pocketknife. A constant companion, I enjoy the feeling of family history in my hand, the smooth shape and Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-62249357741413661412014-03-25T13:40:00.002+00:002014-03-28T14:20:03.714+00:00Compost, Manure and Mulch: Prepare Your Soil This Spring!What many budding vegetable gardeners fail to realise is that what you put into the ground is as important as what you get out of it! When I started vegetable garden, I often planted things in the ground and then wondered why things struggled to grow, when preparing your soil with a range of compost and nutrients is so vital.
It’s also important to use the right compost for your different Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-68568839038917214352014-01-14T18:07:00.000+00:002014-01-15T10:24:08.193+00:00How to Grow Vegetables in a Small Garden
There’s nothing like growing and harvesting your own
vegetables. You can save a significant amount of money and get a lot of
personal satisfaction from raising crops in your own garden. It’s something
that the whole family can get involved in and the best thing is that even if
you only have a small garden to work with, you can get involved in home
growing. There are plenty of space saving Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-38226554525886373052014-01-14T18:06:00.000+00:002014-01-15T10:24:08.190+00:00Making Your Allotment Shine All Year Round
Now that the New Year is finally upon
us, millions of us up and down the country are scrambling around, looking for a
New Year’s resolution. One area that you should immediately look to for this
resolution is your allotment. Here is a guide to how you can make sure you use
your resolution to make your allotment usable all year round.
De-Weeding
To Aid Growth
Your
allotment needs Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-28467195286427496412013-12-09T13:15:00.002+00:002013-12-09T13:15:45.103+00:00Muck Boots: Perfect Winter Wear
Whether you’re sweeping up great swathes of wet leaves, digging up vegetable beds, turning soil or generally pottering about, the garden can be a messy place at this time of year, which is why solid footwear is so important.
Luckily for me, my friends at The Internet Gardener (www.internetgardener.co.uk) sent me a pair of Muck Boot Scrub boots to help me in the London Vegetable Garden over Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-64805264885182128892013-12-09T10:52:00.001+00:002013-12-09T10:52:39.949+00:00Boot-Scrapers: Keeping the Outdoors, Outdoors!
Whether pottering about in the garden or rambling across the moorland of Derbyshire, I love nothing better than being outdoors. However, what I dislike is bringing the outdoors back inside with me!
Muddy walking boots, leaves, soil and all sorts of garden flora and fauna invariably end up being trampled inside my house, much to the chagrin of my wife. Luckily for me, the folks at Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-10649966529948399322013-12-09T10:50:00.000+00:002013-12-09T10:50:17.592+00:00Birds and Bees: Bird Seed That Supports British Wildlife
The current plight of bees is a very topical, and indeed, critical, issue facing agriculture today. This is a global issue with huge ramifications for crops, food and ecosystems, yet it is also an issue that we can help to overcome at (forgive the pun) ‘grass roots’ level.
I was recently contacted by the lovely folks at Birds & Bees bird seed, a new ethical birdseed company from Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-2109422749854027342013-12-06T13:16:00.001+00:002013-12-06T13:16:07.511+00:00Planning Ahead: The Perfect Place to Put Your Gardening Tools
It might be winter now, but that
means that spring is only around the corner, and with it comes fresh
opportunities for new garden projects to help fill your leisure time over the
coming year, and we think we have the perfect project. With house
sizes decreasing year-on-year, gardeners all around the UK are running out
of space to put their tools of the trade, so this year, why not make your
Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-86675489561386252432013-11-27T19:17:00.000+00:002013-11-27T19:17:11.335+00:00Things To Consider When Planning A New GardenIf you’re a keen gardener or you just love to sit out there on a warm summer day then there’s a good chance that you love gardening and garden design. If you’re new to it, or you have been doing it for a while and feel like you need some new inspiration and ideas for how to jazz things up a bit, then here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Think about a colour scheme
Before youCallumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-84796924325555678462013-11-27T19:14:00.001+00:002013-11-27T19:14:41.896+00:00How A Pond Can Improve Your GardenIt could be said that gardening is about so much more than growing vegetables and flowers. A garden can also be a place for families to spend time together on long summer days, and also a great place to admire nature and wildlife.
Having a pond can be a good way to enhance your garden, and attract more animals to come and spend more time in it. While having a pond in your garden will hopefully Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-90889020212634626732013-10-14T16:00:00.001+01:002013-10-14T16:00:30.320+01:00The LVG Guide to: Essential Garden Tools
If you’re new to this blog, hopefully my posts over the last few years
will have demonstrated that it’s actually fairly straightforward and simple to
start growing vegetables in your garden or on your balcony. If you’re looking to give vegetable growing a
go next spring, why not start planning your adventure right now? It’s essential to invest in some gardening
tools, and starting Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-76470393217294226872013-09-19T09:35:00.004+01:002013-09-19T09:35:40.267+01:00These Boots Were Made For… Gardening!
As the cold
mornings and autumnal drizzle wash away all remnants of this year’s warm
summer, one could be forgiven for thinking that gardening activity has also
been packed up for the year, but nothing could be further from the truth! One of the things I love about being a
gardener is that there’s always something to do, whatever the season, or
weather: you just need to ensure that you Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-7235727618202290052013-09-18T16:57:00.002+01:002013-09-18T17:15:15.592+01:00It's 2013: why not get a robot to mow your lawn?Whilst gardening is perceived by many to be a timeless, traditional and rather quaint pastime, the gardener of 2013 can call upon a truly diverse range of technological gadgets and wizardry to help save time or, if desired, effort! Take the cutting edge robot lawn mower, the Honda Miimo for example. Yes, you read heard me correctly: a robot lawn mower!
A wonderful new piece of Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-80060641280441863862013-09-18T09:05:00.000+01:002013-09-18T09:05:23.757+01:00Top Tips To Get Your Garden Winter-Ready This Autumn
It all happened so quickly; one moment you’re relaxing in
a deckchair in the sun, the next you’re wrapping up warm and sweeping leaves
off the drive. It may have been a sudden transition this year but autumn is
certainly upon us. Next thing we know, we’ll be shivering away in hats and
scarves in the biting cold of winter. And that means that in order to get the
best from your garden, you should Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-18193030252164828692013-08-27T16:45:00.002+01:002013-08-27T16:46:02.975+01:00Artificial Grass: Beautiful Turf for Minimal Effort
A lot of my friends tell me that they wish they could have a beautiful garden, but they don’t want to have to work tirelessly to get the results! Well, although blood, sweat and hard graft results in a rewarding garden, there are also many ways to achieve a beautiful, simple garden that is also low-maintenance.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some tips and advice on how to Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-9466984165697198712013-08-27T16:43:00.005+01:002013-08-27T16:46:03.030+01:00Luscious Lawns: Grass as the Plant we Always Forget!
When gardening, it is so easy to get wrapped up in various flowers, plants and vegetables, that gardeners can often forget the plants beneath their very feet: grass!
From lush lawns to wild gardens, the turf beneath our feet contributes to the overall aesthetic appeal of our gardens much more than we give it credit for.
If you’re looking for some turf-based inspiration, the Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-91380813707870932902013-07-04T10:00:00.000+01:002013-07-04T10:00:00.155+01:00Grow Your Gardening Skills With a Gardening Course This Summer!
I’ve been
running the London Vegetable Garden blog since 2009, with the express aim of
not only chronicling my own organic odyssey, but hopefully demonstrating along
the way that growing your own is simple, easy to pick up and most of all,
enjoyable!
However, if
you’re still feeling nervous or unsure about gardening, but really want to give
it a go, there is a wide range of different courses Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1