Guerilla Gardening

This is just such a wonderful idea to make the places we live in smiley and even productive.  When somewhere is just sitting idle, why not plant something on it?

Centre for Alternative Technology

The Centre for Alternative Technology is near Machynlleth in Wales.

Now CAT is an education and visitor centre which demonstrates practical solutions for sustainability. They cover all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing.

Over the years of visiting Wales we have seen the Centre develop and grow into a fantasitc place to visit and to get interesting and practical ideas for sustainable living.  It was one of the first places we saw wind turbines and learnt that you could sell power back to the grid.  It was where we saw heating and hot water solutions which ranged from the pipes from old baths to the most up to date technology and it was where we learnt that the Welsh for microwave is poppty ping!

Derek Jarman's Garden

Dungerness is a strangely beautiful place and it was where Derek Jarman the film director chose to live and make a garden when he was diagnosed with HIV.

We went there on a fabulously sunny day in the Summer of 2009 as part of the re-energising I needed to do post treatment.

You can read more here.

Vegetable Gardens

I have a dream that one day I will be able to walk out of my back door to my vegetable patch to pick some salad leaves and to dig up some little potatoes to cook; everything as fresh as fresh can be.  We will eat what is in season and have a vegetable patch that is a beautiful to look at as it is productive.  My inspiration is my friend Ann's garden - her original allotment in the field next to her house in Shropshire and now her gorgeous Menorquian garden in the Balearic sunshine.  Feast your eyes.

The following pictures come from a variety of gardens in England and Scotland, including Harlow Carr RHS near Harrogate and the isle of Iona in Western Scotland.

And finally there are my efforts.  Has to be said that Fellside wasn't ideal for vegetable growing.