Welcome to The Garden Smallholder blog.
My name’s Karen and I’m the blog author. I’m a mother, gardener, allotmenteer, blogger and published photographer. I spend a great deal of time writing about, photographing and pottering around my rural UK garden. Most days are spent in wellies, tending to the vegetable garden, our local allotment plot and a flock of chickens.
At the end of 2008 our family of four exchanged city life for the ‘Good Life’ and moved to a small rural village (we have since moved to a bigger property within the village during January 2013 and currently planning our new garden veg patch). We love collecting fresh eggs and picking seasonal food from our garden smallholding, no air miles, no nasty chemicals, just us and the soil.
If you would like to contact the blog author please use the email below.
thegardensmallholder@yahoo.co.uk
capitalgardener
/ July 9, 2012Your blog is inspiring – beautiful photographs and really informative, well written content. Thankyou!
Karen
/ July 9, 2012Thank you!
thinkingcowgirl
/ September 2, 2012Love your blog. I will be living vicariously through your industry :) Maybe one day I will get it together but for the moment I’m resting. Like you I used to live in London and had a gardening/garden design career for 17 years – hence a sore back and being worn out, it’s hard work isn’t it? So now I just potter and look and have embarked on this cow adventure…
Notre petit jardin Breton
/ November 5, 2012I love your blog.
I have a small garden in Brtittany ( France ) but I lived in Northampton 3 years ago!
ascott9618
/ November 5, 2012Hi Karen – I just found your blog and feel both inspired and reassured. I’ve recently left the city for the countryside and now have my own patch to tame, so I’ll look forward to following all your expertise. Gorgeous photos!
Anna B
/ December 30, 2012I’ve just found your blog today and it’s really inspiring! I am going to love catching up on all I’ve missed and following in 2013 :)
Karen
/ December 30, 2012Thank you very much for your lovely comment Anna!
The Garden Smallholder
/ December 30, 2012Thank you for your comments thinkingcowgirl, Notre petit jardin Breton and ascott9618. Apologies for not replying sooner!
Food and Forage Hebrides
/ January 6, 2013Just found your blog, lovely philosophy and I look forward to reading more as I try to acheive similar aims here in the Outer Hebrides. Thanks, Tracey
feebie1956
/ February 4, 2013Just discovered your blog and love it. We retired early to a rural spot in Cornwall last year and are just in the process of getting the veg plot going and planning on getting some rescue battery chickens soon. So I will be following your blog with great interest as I’m a newbie to all this, despite being brought up in rural Romney Marsh with chickens, horses and a veggie gardening nan. It’s taken more then 40 years to get back to it – but I’m very keen now!
gavmomof2
/ May 4, 2013Hello Karen! I just found your blog and Absolutely LOVE IT! I had no idea about Rescue Hens! Sweet Emily :) I learned something new – thanks! Looking forward to spending a little more time reading your blog this rainy weekend. Lost to learn about your neck of the woods.
~Maria
The Garden Smallholder
/ May 5, 2013Hi Maria, many thanks for stopping by and for your great feedback!