Own Grown Gardening

Right now, the Government is consulting on our vision for England's future land use and how to achieve it. The consultation closes 25 April 2025, so there is still plenty of time remaining to contribute. If you wish to do so, head over to DEFRA's website . It is well worth it. Several questions were seriously on point. So much so, I felt the need to throw my own ideas into the ring. I've included them below. I highly recommend submitting your own thoughts too. Question What are the policies, incentives and other changes that are needed to support decision makers in the agricultural sector to deliver this scale of land use change, while considering the importance of food production? My Response Money is of course the biggest incentive regardless of how depressing it is to say it. If landscape stewardship schemes provide farmers and land owners enough financial incentive to adopt them, they will embrace them whether or not they fundamentally believe in their benefits. If, how...

  It is the time of year again to propagate our alpine strawberries ( Fragaria vesca ). Throughout the summer, these tiny ruby-red gems burst with a sour sweetness far more flavoursome than full sized garden strawberries. I know this is a stroke of good luck, however, because the same can't be said of all alpine or wild strawberries. Many look luscious, but taste of little more than watery nothingness, from personal experience.  I know you're now anxious to know what variety I grow. Unfortunately, I'm at a loss to tell you. The single little plant I originally bought was sold simply as an alpine strawberry. This is interesting in itself, however, because alpine strawberries are not known for producing runners . These ones definitely do. Just take a look at this tangle.  All those new little daughters are still attached to their mother plants by runners, also called stolons , that act a lot like umbilical cords.  The fact these plants produce such exuberant runners ha...