Lettuce: it's time to get growing your own

If you’re worried about food shortages, contaminated salads and food miles, it’s time to get growing your own lettuce. Here’s my guide.

Growing foodJane PerroneFebruary 3, 2017LettuceComment

Bokashi composting: a beginner's guide to slimming down your black bin waste

If you want to stop putting food waste into landfill, bokashi is the answer. But what exactly is it and how does it work? The hows, whys, and whatnots of bokashi composting, explained ...

Composting, eco-gardeningJane PerroneDecember 9, 2016bokashi, composting Comments

Phytl Signs Device: a review

I try out a new gadget called PhytlSigns to find out how I could listen to my plants to help them grow.

Gadgets & booksJane PerroneOctober 3, 2016Comment

Foraging books, apps and maps – a review

If you're a newbie (or would-be) forager, it's vital to start reading up about edible plants to find out how and where to forage safely. Here's a guide to some of my favourite books on the subject.

Foraging, Gadgets & booksJane PerroneSeptember 19, 2016foragingComment

Rakesprogress magazine: a review

Find out what I made of the first edition of new gardening magazine for your urban growers, Rakesprogress.

Gadgets & booksJane PerroneSeptember 5, 2016Comment

A bouquet of flowers, a handful of leaves

On the final day of the school term I task myself with providing two homegrown bouquets - one for each of my children's teachers. For me, this is what having a garden is all about - using it as a personal treasure house - for flowers, for foliage, for herbal teas, for fruit, for vegetables, for salads.

Growing flowersJane PerroneJuly 31, 2016Comment

Composting: the shortcuts that make a difference (and what to do with citrus skins)

Want to make better compost? Here are some of my tips and tricks, including what to do with all those citrus skins.

Composting, eco-gardeningJane PerroneJuly 11, 2016compost, citrus, grapefruit, compostingComment

You say potato, I say Solanum tuberosum: the trouble with botanical Latin

I have always loved Latin names for plants, but not everyone feels the same. Here’s why it’s important to know your glauca from your edulis.

On The Ledge podcastJane PerroneApril 26, 2016botanical LatinComment

February orchid: edible, incredible

Jerusalem artichoke, evening primrose, creeping zinnia – there’s a long history of plants with common names that are more than a little off-beam. With that in mind I give you my new favourite edible plant… February orchid, a wonderful edible plant that isn’t an orchid at all.

Growing flowers, Growing foodJane PerroneApril 19, 2016brassicas, saladsComment

Glasshouse heaven at Wimpole Hall

There’s nothing like enjoying the fertile fug and beautiful plants of a heated greenhouse on a cold winter’s day…

HouseplantsJane PerroneApril 16, 2013succulents, wimpole hall, HouseplantsComment

My top five indoor succulents

The succulent renaissance continues, so what better time to take a look at some of my favourites from this diverse clan of plants.

Jane PerroneApril 9, 2013aloe vera, succulentsComment

Houseplants part two: my top Five houseplants even YOU won't be able to kill!

Ages ago I wrote a post on reinventing the houseplant. I promised part two would list five of my favourite unkillable houseplants... at last, here it is.

Jane PerroneFebruary 10, 2013Comment

Reinventing the houseplant (part one)

There is something profoundly depressing about a poorly houseplant. A garden plant that's having an off period doesn't tend to draw the eye in the same way, as there's usually something else to camouflage it, but there's nowhere to hide from a yellowing, leggy spider plant or a parched palm...

Jane PerroneNovember 27, 2012succulents, HouseplantsComment

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