Category Archives: Grow Your Own

Dig for Victory!

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Francis Pryor

The Dig for Victory campaign was launched in 1941 at a time when food imports to Britain were being blocked by a very successful enemy naval blockade – mostly using submarines. Today, of course, the enemy is the Covid-19 pandemic, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Grow Your Own, Uncategorized | Tagged anthills, box, chickens, covid-19, dig for victory, green woodpecker, greenhouse, National Gardens Scheme, NGS, pandemic, tomatoes, viburnum opulus, willow, Wisteria sinensis

Italian plum tomatoes – the best for cooking

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Francis Pryor

I know I’ve said it before, still, it’ll bear repeating, that as I grow older I find I enjoy my food more and more. But it’s not about clever cheffy sauces and fancy restaurant-style cuisine. I leave that to you … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Grow Your Own | Tagged beans, plum tomatoes, tomatoes

Grow Your Own. On Spuds and Broad Beans: Better Late than Never

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Francis Pryor

Is the season at last starting to catch-up? If you’d asked me that a week ago, I’d have probably said yes. Now I’m not so sure, as I sit at my desk, with the south-westerly wind howling around the rafters. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Grow Your Own | Tagged broad beans, gardening, potatoes, vegetables

Grow Your Own: Part 3, Chitting Seed Potatoes

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Francis Pryor

Outside the snow has been lying on the garden for at least a week. So yesterday I took the four-wheel-drive into the local town to buy seed potatoes. In the past I’ve bought them through catalogues, but these rarely guarantee … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Grow Your Own | Tagged gardening, potatoes

Grow Your Own: Part 2, Digging

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Francis Pryor

The world of vegetable gardening is, as they say in the press ‘sharply divided’ into two schools of thought: to dig, or not to dig. I’m a life-long digger and am not about to change, unless, that is, I hurt … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Grow Your Own | Tagged gardening

And Now For Something Completely Different: Broccoflower Fractals

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Francis Pryor

With imminent unemployment staring me in the face I’ve been rethinking my world. Well actually, I haven’t. In point of fact, yesterday Maisie and I spent a very pleasant day in London, listening to a lecture on May Morris at … Continue reading →

Posted in Grow Your Own | Tagged broccoli, calabrese, Jim Al-Khalili, May Morris, Romanesco, Royal Academy, Society of Antiquaries, Today

Grow Your Own: 1

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Francis Pryor

We recently took a few days off, and as there are about 150 animals still on the farm, we always make sure the place is looked-after by farm-sitters. Sometimes it’s local friends who keep an eye in things, but other … Continue reading →