Search found 139 matches

by John Walker
Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:37 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Organic Hough Garden open on 2nd and 3rd August 2014
Replies: 0
Views: 9236

Organic Hough Garden open on 2nd and 3rd August 2014

Peter Woollam's Hough Garden, Hough Lane, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7JD (near the junction with Mottram Road) is open to the public on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August 2014, from 12 noon until 5pm on both days. This is perhaps my favourite organic decorative kitchen garden in the UK (I'm slightl...
by John Walker
Wed Jul 31, 2013 11:09 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Hough Garden open on 2nd & 3rd August 2014
Replies: 0
Views: 9401

Hough Garden open on 2nd & 3rd August 2014

Peter Woollam's Hough Garden, Hough Lane, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7JD (near the junction with Mottram Road) is open to the public on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August 2014, from 12 noon until 5pm on both days. This is perhaps my favourite organic decorative kitchen garden in the UK (I'm slightl...
by John Walker
Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:16 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Our allotments threatened with development.
Replies: 31
Views: 10739

Re: Our allotments threatened with development.

bicci, you might want to have a look at what's happening with Farm Terrace allotments in Watford. Their plots are under threat (you can read up on exactly why on their website), but the allotment holders there are mounting both a vigorous and creative campaign to defend them. One key move they are m...
by John Walker
Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:28 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Anti-GM campaigner sees sense
Replies: 11
Views: 3782

Re: Anti-GM campaigner sees sense

I think PLUMPUDDING has summed it up mostly rather well, but hits the nail on the head: His speech sounds rather shallow to me. The other obvious word which springs to mind is facile. If any speech was crafted to encourage further polarisation in this debate, when it's least needed, this was it. How...
by John Walker
Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:34 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Aminopyralid contaminated manure 2012
Replies: 37
Views: 15936

Re: Aminopyralid contaminated manure 2012

Perhaps John Walker might have those figures as a result of his research, he says hopefully, together with the plant-affecting dose? i.e. How much active ingredient in how much muck, added to how much soil, will do your crops in. Difficult figure to work out and, from what GLAllotments says it vari...
by John Walker
Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:34 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Aminopyralid contaminated manure 2012
Replies: 37
Views: 15936

Re: Aminopyralid contaminated manure 2012

Hello Ricard with an H. Two of the active ingredients in Doxstar ( fluroxypyr and triclopyr ) are from from the same group of synthetic pyridine chemicals as aminopyralid and clopyralid. These polluting chemicals are extremely persistent in the environment and even minute traces can damage garden pl...
by John Walker
Mon Aug 27, 2012 8:39 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: asparagus
Replies: 11
Views: 4653

Re: asparagus

Each situation is different. On a field scale, growing asparagus as a monoculture and keeping weeds down with a weedkiller might work best, but in a garden setting things are more flexible. In a small garden especially, 'undercropping' asparagus might be the best way to make best use of limited spac...
by John Walker
Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:30 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Hough Organic Garden Open Day, 4/5 August 2012
Replies: 2
Views: 9760

Re: Hough Organic Garden Open Day, 4/5 August 2012

Just a reminder that it's Open Day at Peter Woollam's Hough Garden this weekend. Peter's plot is a must-see exemplar of just what can be achieved using a thoughtful, nature-inspired organic approach.
by John Walker
Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:46 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: GM Potato Blight trials to go ahead.
Replies: 154
Views: 36735

Re: GM Potato Blight trials to go ahead.

I don't think anyone would disagree that this is a hugely important topic that should be of concern to all gardeners (growing scientific concern about the effect of glyphosate on the environment is just one intertwined strand of a sometimes complex debate about GM crops). But I am failing to see any...
by John Walker
Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:15 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Mr Muck
Replies: 17
Views: 10437

Re: Mr Muck

Bark and/or wood chips/fibre are, of course, just as 'organic' as the horse s**t itself - in the sense that they all come from living origins. If these are indeed part of the 'Mr Muck' recipe, then I don't see what the problem is (and you'd be hard pressed to recognise any individual component follo...
by John Walker
Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:47 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Hough Organic Garden Open Day, 4/5 August 2012
Replies: 2
Views: 9760

Hough Organic Garden Open Day, 4/5 August 2012

Peter Woollam's Hough Garden, Hough Lane, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7JD (near the junction with Mottram Road) is open to the public on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th August 2012, from 12 noon until 5pm on both days. This is perhaps my favourite organic decorative kitchen garden in the UK (I'm slight...
by John Walker
Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:37 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: How to prevent soil erosion,an interesting video
Replies: 21
Views: 7544

Re: How to prevent soil erosion,an interesting video

Nature's Babe, thanks so much for posting this video. I actually had it on my list to post on my own website as it's such a quietly informing yet fantastic demonstration of how the way we treat our soils - in gardens or in fields - has profound effects on how they function, either in our favour or o...
by John Walker
Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:26 pm
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Sarvari Research Trust Open Day: Friday 3rd August 2012
Replies: 1
Views: 7450

Sarvari Research Trust Open Day: Friday 3rd August 2012

Friday 3rd August 2012: All Welcome at Sarvari Research Trust Open Day – Breeders of The Blight-Resistant Sárpo Potatoes [An eye-opening opportunity to see just what can be achieved using conventional i.e. non-GM plant breeding techniques on a relatively limited budget.] This year is proving to be ...
by John Walker
Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:31 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: The great GM debate
Replies: 91
Views: 21956

Re: The great GM debate

This is an interesting read, in the strict sense of the word, never mind the inevitably disparaging comments that have popped in. At least with a Q&A format like this, you begin to get a feel for the overlapping ground where two sets of ideas interact. I don't see any 'equating' of Rothamstead w...
by John Walker
Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:04 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: A Celebration of the Natural World and Human Genius.
Replies: 2
Views: 1558

Re: A Celebration of the Natural World and Human Genius.

Thanks for the link, Nature's Babe. I watched all three Schumacher lectures and it was good, brain-stirring stuff (much more enlightening than most links to news sites). It was a pity John Elkington's 'Zeronauts' talk wasn't recorded - but the book of the same name looks good stuff. Although I've fi...