Pam in Newport
The program has really enriched my retirement
I’ve been gardening for a long time but it was informed by instinct with occasional advice from my mum, reading and gardening shows. I found out about My Smart Garden at a library event and thought “this is something I really want to do”. The workshops are fantastic, and particularly the online ones because you can log on from home. I’ve learned a lot and it’s certainly increased my gardening skills just by attending four or five.
I went to the compost workshop first. I’ve had some awful compost previously so this workshop was game-changing! Now my compost is incredible and it’s breaking down much quicker. It’s readily available so I can always grab a bucket and use it to improve the soil. My plants are much healthier and stronger.
In the pest management workshop I learned that sometimes it’s best to go out at night with a torch to see what’s going on, and when I did recently I found lots of snails and baby slugs. In the past I might have gone for a commercial product, but now I’m likely to make a homemade spray or trap, or handpick the pests if possible. I’m noticing more insects in the garden and the workshop helped me understand that some bugs are of value, like ladybirds. I ‘ve learned to attract beneficial insects using flowers so they can take care of pests like caterpillars and aphids for a more sustainable, longer-term approach.
The program has definitely saved me money because in the past I’ve bought manures and fertiliser to enrich the soil, but now I mostly use my compost and a bit of seaweed extract. I don’t want to be using a million products, I just want a few basics and I love using recycled materials – gardening doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
I think My Smart Garden is brilliant. It’s such a great resource and it has everything I need. I even have a book for all my notes because there’s a lot of detail in each workshop. The program has really enriched my retirement and when I get an email I’m excited to see what the next topic will be. There’s nothing better than growing a crop in your garden then picking and eating it. I’ve passed on my knowledge to my adult sons over the years and it is really precious sharing our love of the garden.