Going down….Earth house In cool Canada, there are varied examples of homes unconnected to local power and water.

Anthony Ketchum, 70, lives part-time in his weekend cottage in the Hockley Valley, a 20-minute drive from Orangeville, Ont.

His house gets its electricity from seven photovoltaic panels that feed a battery bank. A small wind turbine boosts the system in winter months.

“We took the plunge to be off-grid and heat the house from earth sheltering,” says Ketchum, who lives in Toronto. (more…)

Permaculture tastes good

Whatever you are planting - make sure its near a little plant friend that will make him feel at home.

Companion planting is based on the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted in near proximity. Companion planting is an organic way to deter pests, where limited or no pesticides or herbicides are used.

1. Basil — Best friends: pepper, tomato, and marigold. Tip: Plant seeds in rows two feet apart, spacing them half an inch apart in the row. Most varieties grow to about two feet. Pinch stems frequently, to encourage basil to grow bushy and full. (more…)

Jamie Oliver in his polytunnel

The vegetable patch has become a fashionable home improvement accessory, a makeover for the credit crunch era that should add value to your property in the long term. (more…)

Cooler than Beth Ditto

Seed sales have risen by 60% since the beginning of the credit crunch as consumers tighten their belts and prepare for an era of food rationing

Growing vegetables has moved from being a pursuit for wrinkly old allotment holders to an essential element of survival for families everywhere. Yesterday I got a bunch of rainbow carrots, as well as a bunch of rainbow chard from an allotment owner. (more…)

Actress Jenny Seagrove on her support for the Recycle Now Home Composting Campaign.

The environment is a real passion of mine. Like most people I am concerned about climate change and I am looking for ways I can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

I live in London and often work long hours in the theatre and in television. So many of the people I�ve worked with find themselves in a similar position at some point: trying to juggle between careers and busy home-lives. When there are so many demands on your time even the best intentions can go astray. But by taking just a few minutes a day to recycle things like empty bottles, jars and paper and by composting kitchen and garden waste rather than sending it to landfill, you�ll be amazed at the difference a single household can make. (more…)

Green shoots at Phoenix

When the wicked weeds start sprouting you know it’s time to get moving. There’s a couple of months starting when spring begins to really happen that will determine the success of your season, if you fall behind then it’s so hard to catch up later. In UK that time generally starts sometime in March, it has started already in southern England but probably not till late March in northern Scotland. (more…)

This way up, King Edward

If you’re trying to be self-sufficient in cool temperate regions, potatoes will likely be your most important crop apart from wheat.

Even without special storage facilities you can just about eat potatoes all year round. They are a productive, easy to cultivate and usually reliable crop, and provide a good supply of carbohydrate, protein and vitamins for your diet. Apparently no other crop produces more energy per acre than potatoes. I wonder what people did before they arrived from South America in the 16th century?

You grow potatoes by planting a potato! A whole host of important things stem from that fact: (more…)

Planting jerusalem artichokes

At last! The days begin to noticably lengthen, the sun feels warmer than it did a few weeks ago and there are signs of things growing again.

I’ve just spent a couple of weeks up in northern Scotland at the Phoenix Project, apologies for no articles in recent weeks - I’ll try to make up for that soon. There’s a good selection of vegetables for eating fresh from the garden there now: kales, cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli, even some calabrese, carrots, turnips, jerusalem artichoke, radicchio, leeks, parsnip, brussels sprouts, swede, winter radish, beetroot.

Its time to begin sowing and planting outside if conditions are favourable. (more…)

Kevan Trott and wife Gillian

The London Sunday Express made a big deal out of Kevan Trott and his French earthship, calling it “the first residential Earthship in Europe.” The design pioneered in Taos uses old tyres and bottles to create a fully recycled home. The word “earthship” derives from the fact that not only does the shape of these semi-submerged properties resemble a ship, and they are also self-contained vessels.

The property will be available to rent from May, but in fact it is not the first residential European earthship by a long way. (more…)