In the UK, we are coming to the end of another year’s growing season and whilst tidying away the aftermath, also planning ahead for the next year’s cycle. Probably the single most important intervention you can make in the garden is instituting an efficient compost system early on. When I moved in to my house,
Most of us enjoy looking at well-tended gardens, but while some people may think gardening is a back-breaking chore, others enjoy its benefits. These are many. The most obvious benefit of gardening is that it can be a great way to relieve stress. With so much going on in our lives, many people forget to
Hedgerows are seen as one of the defining features of the English landscape and are important habitats for wildlife, such as birds, small mammals and invertebrates. They are often the oldest remaining feature in the countryside, providing important evidence of its historical development. In ecological terms, the most biodiverse part of a habitat is often
Hedgelaying Once, in the days before wire, plastic and electronic fencing, nearly all farms used to practice hedge laying in order to keep the fields stock proof. Hedge laying involves partially cutting through the stems of hedge trees and shrubs, then laying them over at an angle, and weaving them together to produce a stock
By Andy Patterson, Tutor, ADL- Academy for Distance Learning A Walipini is a type of passive solar greenhouse underground. It is an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth." First developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South America, this method can allow growers to maintain a productive garden year-round,
Today is Saint David’s Day, and the national day of Wales! It’s a day celebrated throughout that country with parades and parties from the valleys to the cities. St David is remembered as a staunch missionary for the church in Wales, undergoing pilgrimages to the Vatican and Jerusalem in his lifetime. He founded dozens of
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” said the poet Shakespeare. Sweet as it might be, the rose has become so synonymous with romance and Valentines Day in particular that it might well be seen as boring. Even worse, the unoriginality of showing up with a bunch of roses in hand might
It’s the start of December! Advent calendars are flying open, decorations are going up and festive wreaths are getting stuck up on doors all over the place. You may have noticed those little sharp leafed leaves with the red berries on the wreathes, cards and other decorations of the seasons Generally, these depict the holly
As you’ve probably guessed if you’ve been into a shop any time recently this months commercial celebration is Halloween. That means lots of ghoulies, sweets and, traditionally, pumpkins! Few other vegetables grow to the prodigious size and shape that make for good lanterns which is why the pumpkin can be seen practically everywhere at this
We may be well into autumn now, with winter well in sight but for the avid home gardener it’s not quite time to hang up your tools and retire in front of a fire to await the passing of the colder season. Now is the time to start making the final adjustments to your garden
Education opens doors to success windows of opportunity and in at least one case, gates to new possibilities. Such is the case with ADL success story Annabella Baker. Originally from Italy, but now living in the UK, Annabella faced a tragedy all too familiar to many when she lost her airline job during the Covid
Gardens are hard work.  Behind every immaculate lawn and carefully tended flowerbed is a never-ending struggle between nature and gardener. Of course simply leaving the garden to its own devices isn’t really an option; Untended, plants will grow freely for the whole of spring and summer and even into autumn. Worse yet, an uncared for
Some stories of educational achievement soar into the heavens. Of individuals who through hard work and toil overcame the challenges in their life to achieve. Certainly, at ADL we’ve seen and helped many individuals achieve their dreams through completing a course which helped them get a place at university or begin a new career. This,
If you’ve been in the UK over the past weekend you might have noticed you had a day off on Monday (or looked on enviously as other people had a day off). The coronation of a new monarch in Charles the Third means a new era. One that the Monarch is especially keen does not
If you’re looking for a side business or career that combines a love for fitness and a mentoring role. personal training might be for you Personal training is at it’s heart all about being able to help people live healthier, happier lives. By combining physical exercise with essential lifestyle changes like diet they help their
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