Blog – Vita Nova

Implementing Historical Traditions

Historical Gardening methods, design and the reasons they should not be forgotten

There’s a very long, complex history to gardens that pre-dates even medieval times. Traditionally they were just another way to produce food for the family, especially during times of war, however, over time they slowly became less crop production based and more for aesthetic pleasure.

Natural Elements

The use of elements from the natural world and local environments and why it is important to involve them in constructing a garden

There are many benefits to implementing natural elements in designs and planting schemes. There are lessons to be learned still, from the importing of plants that have become invasive, Reynoutria japonica (otherwise known as Japanese Knotweed) and Cotoneaster are but a couple of examples of interesting, maybe even attractive, erroneous choices.

No Dig, Grow Big

Organic Gardening, Veg production and the no-dig no-chem connection

There’s a lot of terms, phrases and ideologies thrown around these days with regards to organic gardening. Before we embark on this topic, it’s worth remembering what the roots of the word are – Organic; Meaning, related to or derived from living matter, or, crop production without the use of artificial (man-made) chemicals – With this in mind, this also somewhat relates to using natural elements again. Think of it as a form of recycling.