On my first official post as a GGG editor I would like to introduce you all to one of my favourite places my garden and my gardening history.

When I was 21 I decided it was time to get on the property ladder however I didnt have much of an income to get my dream house which would be a farm (will be dreaming for a long time) however I found a bargain of a house which had a farmhouse / cottage feel to it and a reasonable sized garden.
As soon as I moved in I wanted to get growing vegetables and flowers however I first needed to transform the garden which was just grass and patio. My only real experience of gardening at this point was helping my granddad on his allotment when I was a little girl. Thus inspired by my time with him when I was younger and his most prized possession The Readers Digest Food from your garden book (which I inherited when he sadly died) I began my hobby as an amateur gardener.

Over the last 4 years I have developed my gardening skills through trial and error and slowly created a garden that suits my needs. I have various vegetable plots scattered about native hedging and wildflowers a rock garden a pond mini orchard (comprising 4 fruit trees and lots of fruit bushes) lots of pots with herbs in and a pagoda that my fiancé and I built with our own hands using felled wood from a local nature reserve. I enjoy spending time in my garden especially first thing in the morning when it is all tranquil as none of the neighbours are arguing.

I must admit though over the last few months I have neglected my garden and although I prefer it slightly wild as it is better for wildlife it had gone very wild.
I thought that seeing as I was on annual leave today I would spend some quality time gardening. Wow. It was amazing the sun was shining the bees were busy collecting nectar and I got stuck in doing a bit of tidying up.
At the end of the afternoon I harvested a range of produce (pictured) and created a delicious healthy meal it literally was from garden to plate. Whilst eating I realised how fortunate I was to be able to nip into my garden for food and how environmentally friendly it is. No chemicals have been used no transport was needed no packaging. Growing your own veg is really good for the environment and you dont need lots of space if you live in a flat and have a balcony you can even grow them in pots even on your windowsill. If you want some gardening advice then why not check out this fantastic site that I discovered today called You grow girl the site owner Gayla is extremely inspiring.
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Harvesting at last!
OK harvesting is definitely too grand a word for a handful of tiny tomatoes and a cucumber but theyre edible! Actually Im almost embarrassed to write this post after Anna-Lisas Garden to Plate article but here goes anyway.
As I was looking around at my plants and taking pictures for the blog I realised actually how much Ive learned from this practice run of growing. Previously Id only ever grown tomatoes which is no huge achievement as they are pretty tough and provide lots of fruit but this year I tried a variety of veg with no prior knowledge or previous experience at all. I wish I would say that despite this lack of knowledge Ive yielded a healthy crop that could feed us for the year but sadly thats far from the truth.
However from what Ive learned I know that next year will be better. There are 3 simple things (within my control) that I need to improve:
1. More space
Ive realised that I grew too many of each plant within a limited amount of garden and greenhouse and they didnt have enough room to grow. For the things that I grew in pots the pots were too small.
2. More food
OK this is a pretty poor thing not to do and I dont have any other excuse other than being ridiculously busy this summer. The poor plants simply needed to be fed more often I can see that theyre lacking nutrition and Im still expecting them to provide me with fruit and veg. BIG lesson learned there and very easy to fix.
3. Get tougher on pests
Although the slugs snails and caterpillars have just about obliterated by cabbage broccoli onions and leeks I just couldnt bring myself to use the necessary means to stop them. I thought I could keep them away using various barriers but the slugs and snails on my garden are determined and have no mercy on the poor plants I have to step it up next year.
Beyond my control less rain and more sunshine would be a huge help too!
Oh and one more thing I have to start reading about how to do this stuff instead of just guessing. Its difficult for me though Im just not a read the instructions person.
Anyway some of the latest developments in the garden and greenhouse are the tomatoes and cucumbers as I mentioned already. There are many more tomatoes but theyre not ripe yet and the other cucumbers are still tiny.
The sweet peppers are only just flowering and the sweetcorn is just showing some tiny cobs (which I found very exciting indeed).
I thought that the potatoes I threw in a bucket had died but when I went to empty the bucket I saw they had produced a few baby potatoes although they were green so I cant eat them.
The poor veg patch itself which started it all is looking more and more like a giant piece of Nottingham lace with hundreds of holes from slug and caterpillar jaws. The broccoli keeps getting taller though so there might be some hope there.

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CORN SABOTAGE!

Ive just quickly had to post this to show you following my last Veg Patch Diaries entry.
One more thing I need to add to the to do list for next year Keep the rabbit Del away from my corn!
Notice there is no sign of shame on his face.
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What do you do with 20 kilos of apples?

What cant you do! After harvesting a ridiculous amount of apples from my future in-laws allotment plot I have spent evenings baking and making various apple related goods including cider vinegar apple chutney apple pies apple tarts apple and cinnamon buns.

As well as stocking up my freezer and pantry I have distributed these goods between family friends and work colleagues. All of whom have been most grateful it does go to show you dont need to give people expensive gifts to make them happy.
If you do have space in your garden I reccommend that you do plant some fruit trees and bushes so you can make your own delicious food too. Even in a small space you can have fruit trees because you can purchase restricted rooted trees which will grow in pots. So go on get planting a fruit tree this autumn.

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The Opinion of a certified green builder:
I must get this off my chest as it has been on my mind for some time now. While watching TV one night a commercial came on for the building insulation product which features the Pink Panther cartoon character as its mascot. I thought nothing of it until the very end of the commercial when the announcer said

To say our housing market is in a slump is like saying Hurricane Katrina was just a few heavy winds! Its bad. So what are home builders doing to attract buyers they are

After moving into our first home a 3-bed terrace in Worthing we are finally getting around to doing some work on it. Up until now we might as well have been living in rented accommodation as we still have the previous residents carpets and wallpaper in situ as well as their cooker fridge lampshades and curtains!
Of course as a trying-to-be-green girl Im keen for us to do the renovations in as eco-friendly a way as possible but the inevitable purse implications are hitting before weve even peeled off the first strip of wallpaper (which incidentally covers the entire house all walls and ceilings too!).
So Im posting here in the hope that fellow green girls will offer us some support and inspiration and perhaps their own eco home stories!
Our first job is to replace the big window in our kitchen (that doesnt open!) with French doors onto the back garden and replace the back door with a window. As well be taking out the original PVC frames now is the time to think about materials for the new frames.
At first we were considering soft wood but due to the position of the doors (south facing lashed by wind and rain and burnt by the sun) our builder advised against this option as they would need treating every year and would need replacing in about 5 years anyway.
We then headed over to www.greenspec.co.uk who advise the following:
First choice:

Although Im not going to write in any great detail about my veg growing adventures this year I just wanted to do a quick update and let you know (those of you who are interested) that despite not much success last year we havent given up on the good life yet.
Well its not quite The Good Life (I still love Tom & Barbaras lifestyle and Margos fabulous fashion) in fact Ive reduced the numbers and types of veggies this year.
2008s veg patch includes potatoes sweetcorn spinach cucumber sweet peppers lettuce tomatoes (of course) jalapenos rocket and radish. Radish are so easy to grow that you can give yourself an encouraging pat on the back every time you crunch one of your home-grown in a lovely salad.

The things I learned from last year and have tried to improve on this time are:
Start sowing seeds earlier (well I did actually fail on this one because wedding arrangements sapped veg growing preparation time in April)
Be realistic Theres no point sowing hundreds of seeds if you dont have the time or space to nurture them to your table. I was not realistic last year
Be tougher on pests I just cant kill the creatures in my garden but I know I cant ask them nicely not to eat the greens either so Ive tried to put them off with marigolds and gravel. The results? So far so good!
More food Yes I know this is obvious.
Hope for the right amounts of sunshine and rain Still working on this one!
Unfortunately I dont have a lot of time to spend in my garden and so Im starting small and building up. You never know next year we may get chickens for our very own eggs and the year after that who knows?! The Good Life here we come!!
For any of you who havent seen the old 70s TV show The Good Life. Heres a classic snippet from one of the episodes:

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My great uncle Bill used to spend hours in his greenhouse. Although he had a beautiful garden he wasnt necessarily working he just used to sit in there enjoying the tranquility. As a child I didnt understand it.
Nowadays of course I do understand. In the mayhem of everyday life work and chasing around I can easily understand what a peaceful place the greenhouse can be and thats why Im concentrating my efforts there this year.

Since starting to try and grow veggies properly in 2007 the main thing Ive learned is to be realistic. When you have a working life which hardly gives you the time to eat you cant expect to suddenly find the time to produce a feast from your garden too.
During my first year of the Veg Patch Diaries I was ambitious with a list of fruit veg and herbs as long as your arm. The main mistake I made was to try and run before I could walk and it quickly sapped all of the fun and enjoyment out of gardening. Keeping on top of it became a chore and when I had to neglect the poor little plants because of work and other commitments it felt like a big old waste defeating the point of trying to bring some self-sufficiency to our little semi in Nottingham.
So badly had we neglected our garden that until today the mouldy corpses of last years tomato and sweet pepper plants were still in the greenhouse. But inspired by this suddenly spring-like weather we set-to today to give our greenhouse a little TLC ready for a select few fruit and veg seedlings. To make the most of the elusive sunshine we get here in the UK we cleared anything that might block light from the greenhouse and cleaned it right up.

So here we are nice and early in the growing season with the new outlook that growing food doesnt have to feel like housework. If its manageable it will be enjoyable and who knows productive too. In a cold country like ours we can make the most of our greenhouse all year round. We dont have to over do it the more exclusive our little veggie collection the more attention we can give and less waste well create.
If youre wondering about the veg patch it hasnt been forgotten. This year were using it to grow potatoes and we already have the Maris Piper seed potatoes to get cracking. The patch doesnt get enough light for sun-loving plants like sweetcorn but for the good old potato itll do just fine.
If youre a wannabe greenfingers like me check out the Green Girls Global At Home Winter Garden and Dig Carrots tees in our Etsy shop. Green Girls can grow veggies anywhere!
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Ive been thinking a lot lately about how being busy everyday can affect how green you live. If Im strapped for time then I take short cuts I wouldnt take if I could be a bit more leisurely and those short cuts are not always eco friendly.
I guess they key is to work green habits into your daily routines. Im not talking about grand gestures like buying a hybrid car or holidaying in an expensive eco-retreat thats not realistic for most of us. Im talking about those things that we can do all the time in our own home and garden.
Heres a quick run down of 10 of the things we do in our house. Id love to learn more so do share your everyday eco habits with us.
1. Benevolent Brands?
Ive put this one first because I think its the most important here and Ive been doing this since I could spend my own pocket money. Get to know which brands are lacking in positive eco & ethical credentials and show them that you dont approve by avoiding their products in your weekly shop. Im a great believer in consumer power and theres nothing easier than not doing something not buying something. Online ethical shopping tool Gooshing can help you know the score.
2. Keep it Fresh
Instead of buying foil cling film or plastic sandwich bags which will just get thrown away wash out and save a couple of ice cream and margarine tubs to keep food fresh in your fridge.
3. White Vinegar is Your Friend
I have always been a bit dubious about eco cleaning products but one that is a definite winner and as cheap as chips (tastes good on chips too!) is vinegar. Theres nothing like white vinegar to get rid of grease and make surfaces lovely and shiny. I use it on stainless steel windows and mirrors and I dont have to worry about breathing in nasty chemicals when Im using it.
4. Natures Bodyguards
Instead of using pesticides to keep aphids from munching on your beloved tomatoes and cucumbers let nature do the work for you. For some reason a lot of creepy crawlies that like your veggie plants hate marigolds so plant them alongside and let them protect the fruits of your labours.
5. Home Made Labels
Whilst were talking gardens here are a few ways you can recycle bits and bobs from indoors to use outdoors Keep bottle tops to put on the end of garden canes to protect yourself (especially your eyes) from the sharp edges. Cut yoghurt pots into strips and use them as washable plant labels. Keep a tub or container handy in your kitchen to chuck in tea bags and veg peelings ready to take out to the compost bin.
6. Old Fashioned Washing
I love hanging washing on the line I think its because its one of those jobs that tells us the fine weather is finally here. Although as us UK based folks know fine weather is elusive here. So rather than heading to the tumble dryer (we dont own one) get yourself a clothes horse to dry your washing indoors when its rainy outdoors.
7. Sweet Scent
There are so many air fresheners on the market right now I couldnt possibly name them all. Theyre so sophisticated too spraying out a smell on a timer or whenever you walk in the room but theyre just unnecessary. Goodness knows what chemicals theyre spurting at you and the amount of plastic that must go into making them makes my head spin. We keep a pretty wooden box (recycled from a wine case) near the front door with a handful of potpourri in it. When the smell fades just sprinkle a little of your favourite essential oil in there. You could even get some lemon juice or sprigs of lovely smelling herbs like Rosemary. Hmmmmm
8. Cut Down on the Meat
Until I met Sophie from Food For Change I thought I knew the implications of agriculture especially farming for meat. I knew nothing. The amount of resources that go into feeding and keeping animals for food is mind blowing. Its a devastating industry not only for the animals but for the environment and humans too. Cutting down or cutting out animal products from your diet truly can help relieve this. Read my interview with Sophie or visit www.foodforchange.org.uk to find out more.
9. Make Second Hand First
This is my favourite tip because its about shopping shopping and feeling good about it. OK let me just spit it out. If you have hang-ups about second hand get over it! Antiques are second hand and no-one has issues with that. Whether looking for large items like furniture or small things like tea cups or clothes I always go for second hand first. Lots of the furniture in our house is second hand was very cheap or free and after a little restoration beautiful. Buying second hand means you are not using more of the worlds resources to get something thats new for you. Charity shops are the best because they are full of hidden gems and buying them contributes to something really worthwhile. Why line greedy companies pockets only to buy the same old beige uniform items? Get creative mix and match and have fun.
10. Take Your Time
I have to confess Im working on this one. Rushing around causes me to take short cuts and make decisions that arent good for the environment like driving to the shops because its quicker than walking and grabbing a take-away rather than cooking a home made meal.
Im far from perfect on the green front but Id like to learn more. Share your everyday eco and lets make a habit of it.
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A National Public Radio story on the Art of Aging confirms my thesis about the importance of making love sustainable. According to Dr. Sherwin Nuland a professor at Yale Universitys Medical School the three most important factors to graceful aging are a consistent exercise program tapping into creative impulses and sustaining the intimate relationships that make life meaningful.Nuland admitted he used to focus too much on physical health as the key to productive old age.

For a while Ive been trying to stick to buying natural wax candles with a fairly good degree of success. According to the New Scientist they are better for us and for the planet. The other week I bought a petroleum wax candle in a sale and I really did notice the difference more smoky and a distinct chemical smell. Definitely sticking to natural wax from now on but where to get those candles from?
In Edinburgh there are a fair few outlets that stock them at reasonable prices. One of the best for both quality and price is The Soap Box stall at the farmers market. They are not there every Saturday so you might like to give them a call to find out when they are next up: 01665 720 263. The lady that makes them is experimenting with concentrations of fragrances at the moment and welcomes all feedback.
LOccitane en Provence have some candles that are all natural wax and whilst they cost a little bit more than the ones from The Soap Box they have a wonderful lasting fragrance and are great for a treat.
Before Christmas I picked up some scented tealights in Oxfam Im not sure if they still have them in stock as I dont often get to one of their shops (I live near their music and book shops but not their original one). They were good value and had a good scent either vanilla or a Christmas spice style one.
Other stockists include the Mulberry Bush in Morningside Studio One in the New Town Napiers in the Old Town and Stockbridge and the Blackadder Gallery in Stockbridge. Youll only find small selections here but theyre worth a look. Last time I was in the Soap Company on the Royal Mile they had started a small range at reasonable prices.
Theres always mail order as well. Ive bought Amphora Aromatics candles at the Isle of Skye Soap Company when Ive been up there on holiday and theyre great I keep meaning to order some online rather than wait until my next trip north! They also do tealights which is brilliant as I used to get mine at Napiers but they seem to have stopped stocking natural wax ones.
Anyone else got any good natural wax candle tips?
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All this week I have been surrounded by a virtuous and I must confess rather smug glow thanks to a new discovery: Brighton & Hove Councils journey planner website Journey On.
Following on neatly from Arcadias post below this excellent innovative website allows you to count the carbon the calories and the cost of your daily journeys to and from work to the shops down to the beach wherever you want within Brighton & Hove.
I have touched before on my walk to work in the context of the deodorant debates (I walk a fairly long way very quickly with the inevitable issues on arrival!) so was delighted to discover thanks to the councils calculator that each day I walk:
over 4 miles
burning nearly 400 calories (or more as it says the journey takes 40mins and I do it in 30!)
saving 1.4kg in carbon emissions and

The following information was provided by Emily Dawson at Natracare.
Most proprietary brands of sanitary pads liners and tampons contain many synthetic materials that many women are unaware of. For instance in sanitary pads you might expect to find cotton but what you get is polypropylene polyacrylates surfactants plastic and chlorine-bleached wood pulp as well as the occasional fragrance. Tampons are made from chlorine bleached rayon or a combination of conventionally grown cotton and rayon. In addition the chlorine bleaching process used produces an unwanted by-product called dioxin a substance linked to cancer endometriosis low sperm counts and immune system suppression. With so many synthetic materials there is a lot of scope for allergic reactions.
Eight out of ten women have never heard of Allergic Feminine Irritation (AFI) – 79% yet millions may suffer with it at some time.
Gynaecologists say that up to a third of patients with symptoms of vaginal itching soreness and/or discharge may be experiencing the symptoms of AFI. One in six gynaecologists say that women notice these symptoms to be at their worst around the time of their monthly period suggesting that their choice of sanitary protection may be a cause or aggravating factor.
Mr David Nunns Consultant Gynaecologist at Nottingham City Hospital says

On a recent trip to Croatia my daughters saw a vendor of Henna tatoos- In the lazy summer sun it seemed like an innocent enough souvenir to take home. I missed the sign about the

By weight a baby will eat more drink more and even breathe more air than an adult. This means what you feed your baby (or child) has a much greater impact than it would have on you.
Most people would love to go

Well not exactly! What I mean is our governor has signed legislation prohibiting the use of phthalates in child care products for those 3 years and under. This ban has already been in place in the EU so its about time the USA (well at least one state) finally followed their lead. Other states are expected to take up similar legislation. Why cant it just be a nationwide ban?!
(What are phthalates? They are plasticizers used to soften PVC. If you want to know more ready my article here.)

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Whenever I get time I like to check out other green blogs and recently I came across one called Green Unlimited which is run by three sisters. They talk about the latest green products environmental news and also about the steps they are taking in living greener lifestyles.
One of their latest posts was about an investigation conducted by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) which found hormone-altering chemicals in air fresheners. I really do think that this should be highlighted to more people as not only do most of these smell awful and I think can give you a headache.

I think that the best bet is to open your window or use natural products. For example in the kitchen I mix water with lemon juice and spray it in the air to get a nice refreshing and clean smelling kitchen. In the bedroom I dry lavender which makes my bedroom smell lovely. Having plants around your house is also a great way of creating a healthy clean and nice smelling home.
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Im a yo-yo organic skincare products user fluctuating between just not being able to afford it and then feeling after all that its well worth the extra cost. Every time I go back to organic moisturisers and face creams I remember the difference they make to your skin and how it feels lighter fresher and cleaner.
This week Ive been trying out a few of Beyond Organic Skincares products and not been disappointed at all.

Beyond Organic Skincare is a family-run business based Cornwall and seeing the beautiful view they have from their workshop you can see why theyre so committed to caring for whats natural. Impressively 90% of the ingredients of their skincare products are sourced from the West Country in the UK which must be no mean feat plus all of their ingredients are certified organic by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA). They take care to ensure they provide a healthy working environment for staff and inform us that theyre committed to various environmental and fair trade issues.
A good start isnt it? And thats before weve tried their creams.
The Beyond Organic Skincare products Ive been using are the:
Moisturising Day Cream
Rescue Salve
Rejuvenating Serum
Regenerating Night Cream
First of all I need to point out that when the pretty little bottle & pots of lotions arrived they were contained in simple packaging of tissue paper and a card box with an information leaflet all of which could be recycled or composted.
These products have a very similar smell which is subtle fresh and non-perfumey and the information sheet goes into detail about the qualities of the natural ingredients in each of them.
Ive used the Moisturising Day Cream more than any of the others which worked well either with our without make-up. It has a lovely consistency a little bit like a mousse and at this time of year where our faces are being battered by cold wind and dry central heating it moisturised my skin well without being heavy.
The Rescue Salve is the serious cream of the bunch designed to help with skin irritations and inflammation and although I dont have any of those problems I found it acted as a great lip balm and eye cream for that bit of extra protection.
Similarly the Rejuvenating Serum seems to provide that deeper hydration and again feels good to use around your eyes (especially if you have a few laughter ahem lines like me!) because its like an oil which according to Beyond Organic Skincares information is very similar to human sebum in the skin.
At night time the Regenerating Night Cream is soothing and I think thats the marshmallow ingredient. Again this one especially good for these winter months that are so harsh and drying but I imagine would work just as well after a day in the sun.
I wouldnt say that the price of Beyond Organic Skincares products are that different to their organic counterparts and you only seem to need to use a little at a time so it should go a long way.
You can buy online too so those of us who arent lucky enough to live in beautiful Cornwall can still enjoy them. There are several more products available aside from the 4 Ive tried including the intriguingly named Boob & Butt Pick Me Up.
Check out their website at www.beyondskincare.co.uk.
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The Institute for Responsible Technology has launched a new website for all those Americans (more than 50% of the population) who said they would avoid GMO enhanced food if it was labeled. Its called the Non-GMO Shopping guide. Polls show 9 out of 10 Americans want GMOs labled the US does NOT require labeling! What are GMOs? Genetically Modified Organisms or gene-spliced food. You take the genes of one species and put it into another. This is not the same as splicing a tree with another tree this is more like splicing a tree with a cow!
Europe which is always light years ahead of us have many countries that are GM free or reject GMOs. The World Trade Organization will not let any country outright ban GMO products.
The IRT website lists popular brands that dont use ingredients from the eight GM crops such as soy and corn. It also list dairy products that dont allow the controversial GM bovine growth hormone. Needless to say I have bookmarked this site and have sent the link to friends and family!
IRTs Executive Director Jeffery Smith says