We have a new Prime Minister and a new Education Minister – Ed Balls. As Kate Needham of Garden Organic has just called for my book Curious Incidents in the Garden at Night-time to be “added to the National Curriculum reading list with immediate effect” I’ve decided to send him a copy. I’ll let you … More Curious Incidents on the National Curriculum?

Wow. Got back from Glastonbury to find my mum in Sheffield is wetter than I am. She’s got three leaks in her house from the non stop rain and her south yorkshire city has a New Orleans style make over. The crazy weather continues. This year we’ve had the warmest April and now the wettest … More Video killed the radio star

The gardens at glastonbury are getting a good old water today as Glastonbury fulfills its reputation as a drought busting device of enormous and mystical proportions. From where I sit I can see Mehdi’s garden, a combination of beautiful wooden, bamboo, willow and reed structures with a gracious and comfortable turf bench, swing chairs and … More Drought tolerance not a problem in Glastonbury

It’s maybe strange to be writing a garden blog from the biggest music festival in the world but there are actually quite a few gardens around the place and over the next few days I’m going to go exploring. The best is the now permanent forest garden style permaculture garden in the Green Futures field. … More Hello from Glastonbury

On Tuesday I’m off to Glastonbury with CAT and we’re very excited to be able for the first time to offer mobile phone users a downloadable personal carbon emissions calculator. Anyone coming into the Greenpeace field with a Bluetooth phone can download the software on to the phone and calculate their emissions whenever they like. … More Glastonbury goers – visit us at Green Futures and at the Greenpeace field

Just got back from Gardeners World Live after an amazing couple of days in the West Midlands – never thought I’d write that sentence. Day one saw the Dyfi Valley Seed Savers visiting the Heritage Seed Library at Garden Organics garden at Ryton near Coventry. The Heritage Seed Library distributes varieties of seeds that would … More Sophie and Allan sent to Coventry

I’ve had a trauma in the garden this week. I was sitting on my home made slate garden bench with two friends when I suddenly noticed a trail, well actually more like a 5th column, of ants heading up a nearby foxglove to an aphid farm which they were obviously cultivating on the top. Ants … More Ant and Decking – Ant control ideas anyone?

The International Olympic Committee are in town this week. While they’re here they might take some time to enjoy the produce grown by the allotment holders of the Manor Garden Allotments. The 100 year old allotment site rests bang in the middle of the planned Olympic village and is about to be bulldozed to make … More Ring Fenced

Wow. Another amazing night of biodiversity in the Dyfi Valley. I’ve been out on an organised walk looking for night jars and glow worms. Thank you Caroline at RSPB Ynys Hir. Night jars migrate here from Africa in Mid-May and stay throughout the summer months. They are a dramatic exotic bird. A beautiful reminder of … More The night time is the right time

Now’s the time for getting out in your garden after dark. Its warm and wonderful out there. If you’re growing veg the slugs are probably on the move if it’s a bit humid so go out and check your crops and remove any offenders. And if you still see some slug damage in the morning … More If you go out in the garden tonight…