It was such a pleasure to run this nature writing workshop for the Sussex Wildlife Trust, supported by Arts Council England and MEAction UK. Designed for anyone who enjoys watching nature out of the window, in the garden or in the local landscape, the workshop focuses on sharing experiences and developing our individual creative voices. … Continue reading Sussex Wildlife Trust: Nature Writing Workshop
It was such a privilege to be asked to contribute to Nicola Chester's fantastic curated series on place, protest and belonging on The Clearing this week... https://www.littletoller.co.uk/the-clearing/song-of-the-iris-by-nic-wilson/
The towpath beside the River Lee is a study in mauve with sprays of Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) sprawling along the verge and out over the water. Often reduced to stunted tufts in managed verges, wilder areas that have been spared the mower allow this jaunty perennial to spread luxuriantly, its stems trailing and reaching … Continue reading Mallows in the Meadow
It's been a quiet year or so on the blog, partly due to family illness and months of home-schooling - the kinds of issues many of us have been dealing with in our lockdown lives. But I've also been completing a Diploma in Advanced Non-Fiction at the University of Cambridge, continuing to write for The … Continue reading Spread the Word Life Writing Prize
Went for a lovely walk this afternoon that reminded me how vital our wild places are, especially at the moment. This is a piece on the importance of my local patch, first published Friday 9 October in The Guardian Country Diary. There’s a spring-fed sliver of alder carr shaped like a thought bubble near the … Continue reading An Exhalation in the Alder Carr
It's a sultry September afternoon and I'm pottering round the garden, deadheading the dahlias as I go. I can hear the echinacea gently buzzing as a drowsy bumblebee picks its way across the tawny central cone. On the dwarf blue lavender hedge that edges the border, a green-veined white butterfly is also making the most … Continue reading Pesticide-Free Plants with the Saving Pollinators Assurance Scheme
The sunshine has brought out the ladybirds on our snow-in-summer. Some hurry along the raised bed sleepers in between the silvery leaves, clearly preoccupied with ladybird business, while others doze and mate on the warm wood. The kids have always enjoyed watching these charismatic beetles with their striking patterns and distinct spots, so we decided … Continue reading Garden Schooling: Ladybird Maths
The response to the Peat Free Nurseries List has been incredible. It's fantastic to see such interest in sourcing peat-free plants. Thousands of people have accessed the list which now includes over 120 nurseries across the UK, from Edinburgh to Cornwall, from West Wales to Norfolk. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent … Continue reading Peat Free Nurseries List
This week dawned sunny and cold - new and strange too. But life with kids doesn't give you much time to pause and think (a blessing at times), so we're moving onward with a new garden school project involving poetry, nature and art - to get us all out in that bright, life-affirming sunshine. We … Continue reading Garden Schooling: Nature Spells
Once upon a time, when dinosaurs were undoubtedly roaming wild in the garden, I had a previous life as a teacher. I loved working with children - and now I'm looking forward to rediscovering my creative side with my own kids (8 and 11) as we enter this rather surreal period of living, working and … Continue reading Garden Schooling: From Small Seeds…