Search - Articles

This morning we went for a walk first thing as the sun rose through the autumn mist. The fields were heaving with young partridge, a small mouse looked impertinently at us from the compost heap, a flight of ducks got up from the pond and the trees

There's a spider the size of a gardening glove in my compost bin. It obviously gets a good living in there, feeding on the flies, woodlice, beetles and earwigs, the remains of which can be vaguely guessed in its untidy sheet of a web. I wouldn

One of the most efficient ways of recycling kitchen waste is to use a worm bin. These purpose-built containers house a colony of brandling worms, which consume fruit and vegetable waste, producing a nutritious worm compost.As well as producing a

What's the point of having a compost heap unless it's to breed fruit flies. That's the way my entomologist's mind works. During the summer great clouds of them billowed up every time I dumped the kitchen waste. They got in my eyes and hair

with the added grass cuttings, helps to accelerate the composting process.More on leaf mould and compostingHow to build a leaf heapFollow our video guide to making leaf mouldChoose plants for autumn colourHow to build a compost binPractical guide to making garden

nutritious for both other plants and humans.Follow our tips on putting nettles to good use - but be sure to wear gloves at all times when handling them.For a basic soup you'll need about 200g of fresh nettle tips. Add 450g of potatoes, peeled and cubed, a

See Compost.

See Compost.

Composted fallen leaves, or the detritus of partially decayed leaves found under trees.

The John Innes Horticultural Institute was founded in 1904, 'for the improvement of horticulture by experiment and research'. It was set up with money bequeathed by a London businessman of Scottish descent.John Innes composts were developed