Our new outdoor vertical garden and living wall

When we planned our garden last year, a living wall was a part of the design. We had a big expanse of brick wall right next to the main seating area, and a vertical garden was the perfect thing to fill the space. But we couldn't do everything at once, so adding the living wall was first on our list when it came to garden projects for the year.

After some research we chose a Shady Daze vertical garden kit with PlantBox. We paid £438 for the largest kit - ten troughs, 40 shade tolerant evergreen plants and a bag of compost. We also bought the watering kit. This is not essential, but as it can connect to the adjacent hosepipe it will make the watering from the top of the planter much easier.

Buying a full living wall as a kit is an expensive way to do it, and of course there are cheaper solutions available. But we wanted to install a sturdy set up, so we chose a company with great reviews and excellent customer support. I am also no expert when it comes to choosing plants, so having a selection of suitable plants delivered directly to me, ready to plant, was a must.

We arranged for the planting troughs to be delivered a few days before the plants so that we had time to attach them to the wall before planting. You can plant the troughs up first, but I think that would make it very awkward to mount them. Assembling the troughs was straightforward - I found a video online to follow and it didn't take too long. Attaching to the wall took a little longer only because our DIY skills are fairly basic, but even we didn't have too much trouble. Measuring for the holes and trying to avoid the grout between the bricks was the most difficult part!

The plants arrived a few days later, well packaged and mostly labelled. I did some research into planting ideas but in the end it wasn't too difficult. I just spread the plants out, trying to place hanging ones like ivy around the edges and at the bottom, taller ones to the top and aiming for a mixture of different shades and textures. The plants were mainly in 12cm pots so they are already a good size, and they will soon grow to fill the gaps. 

We are so pleased with how it looks! It was a really quick and easy way to add a huge amount of interest to a bare wall. I've been eyeing up the rest of the garden to see if we can add any more - I love the idea of putting another one in for herbs or colourful flowers. 

I think it will be fairly easy to maintain - each trough has a water reservoir with an indicator so you can see if you need to add more water, and the water should last for a week or two even in summer. I might just need to trim it a bit if it starts to look overgrown.

I can see the living wall easily from the house so I can admire it from inside, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it for a long time to come!

I got suspended from Twitter (or should I say X)

Oops.

Years ago I used Twitter all the time. It was an essential tool if you were a part of the parent blogger scene - as well as taking part in conversations I used it to share blog posts and connect with brands. Back then I was very concerned with my social media stats, and so naturally I worked hard to increase my follower count.

Things have changed, and I've not posted over there in years. I set my account to private a while back, but I still had nearly 3000 followers. Many of these had followed me to enter a giveaway, and the majority were no longer active users. Realising that I was unlikely to return, I decided to have a bit of a clear out. 

Deleting all my posts (over 22,500?!) wasn't an option unless I wanted to pay for it. So I decided to start by removing all of my followers. It's a manual process, so I spent ten minutes a day clicking remove, managing to get rid of about 200 each session. I was doing so well, until I got an e-mail telling me that my account had been suspended for 'inauthentic behaviours!'

My account is now in read-only mode. I can't post, re-post, like or comment. I can see posts and use the search function, but I can't interact with anything. However as an unexpected bonus, all my followers and the people that I'm following have been removed automatically, so that has saved me a job.

I felt bad at first, and submitted an appeal, even though online consensus is of the opinion that this is unlikely to work. But I've since realised that the suspension has done exactly what I was trying to achieve - no-one can view my old posts and all of my followers have been removed, but my username remains registered to me and I can still search for and find information. 

I think I can cope!

How I find interesting long-form content

Lately I've found myself drawn to long-form content. Detailed podcasts to listen to while I'm driving, in depth documentaries that I can settle down in front of, and of course books that I can lose myself in for long periods at a time. 

But with all the content that is out there it's difficult the media that I really want to engage with. So here are some ways that I've discovered interesting online and offline content to entertain and educate me.

Podcasts

I find searching for interesting podcasts very difficult. Search recommendations on the web are usually out of date, and the Spotify search function isn't very good if you are just browsing. 

Some ways to find new podcasts:

BBC Sounds has podcasts on a wide range of subjects, both as a one-off or a longer series.

Reddit is a really good place to look for podcasts and other media on a specific topic. Just use Reddit and Podcast as search terms, along with what you are after. Recommendations are usually accompanied by a description or review so you can see if it sounds interesting to you.

Social media is a great place to keep an eye on, I personally always prefer to listen to something that has been recommended. Sometimes a podcast that I'm listening to will introduce a guest with their own podcast, or a writer that I follow will offer a curated list. I have a Notes file on my phone where I jot down anything that sounds interesting to look up later.

Videos

I've found YouTube to be a really valuable source for interesting long-form content, as long as you can avoid being distracted by the shorts and clickbait titles. I look for older documentaries that have been shared, as these are often slower and more detailed in content. It helps to use search terms like 'full documentary' or 'full show' and I find that once I start watching a certain type of content then the algorithm will pull up related videos which are just what I'm after.

I also pop into the streaming services that we have and use the search function rather than just browsing the recommended content. iPlayer is really good, and of course free to licence holders in the UK. The BBC documentaries are always high quality and on a wide range of subjects. We have Netflix too, and I have a watchlist of interesting content lined up for when I'm in the mood.

Books

I rarely find myself browsing for books, I just somehow seem to acquire piles of them! But if I am desperate to find some new reading material here's where I look:

The library - this is my first port of call. Even in our tiny village library I can always find a book or two that I've heard of and want to read, and a pile of other books that have caught my eye.

Charity shops - especially those slightly out of the town centre with cheaper prices. I've found one in town that sells three books for £1 - you can't go wrong!

My Notes document called 'Books to buy' - these is where I add books that I've heard of, either recommendations from friends or family or that I've spotted on social media. I save up a batch to buy secondhand on World of Books.

In-depth articles

Many of the online news sources and newspapers have long form content, but it can be difficult to find among the shorter, newsier articles and is often behind a paywall. You can try:

BBC InDepth

The Guardian - The Long Read

Telegraph Long Reads (sometimes an account is needed to read)

Substack (some content is subscriber only)

Photo credit Roman Kraft via Unsplash

How do you find interesting content?

Why the analogue trend bothers me, and how I interpret it for myself

Recently I joined Substack, and I've found it a great place to discover long-form, intelligent content. Unfortunately, like most social media platforms it features an algorithmically curated feed, and once you show a slight interest in a topic you can quickly find yourself flooded with similar articles.

One day last week I was deluged by posts about the analogue trend. In case your social media feeds steer you in a different direction, the analogue trend is a way of living (embraced mainly by younger types than me) that prioritises physical media and time spent away from screens.

There is an urge to create aesthetic 'analogue bags' filled with prompts that encourage screen free hobbies - like books, knitting, pretty pens strapped to leather journals, watercolour tins and brushes. People are buying vintage MP3 players, digital cameras and alarm clocks. And of course there is a need to document all of this for social media, including the video of your 'analogue day' that has been filmed on the phone and edited on a laptop.

I can definitely see the attraction of an analogue way of living. But I don't like the consumer aspect with the need to buy more and more things in order to embrace the trend fully. And maybe this sounds hypocritical coming from a blogger, but I hate the need that people have to share everything online.

So here are some ways that I would like to interpret the analogue trend:

Listening to a complete album from start to finish, whether that's on vinyl or Spotify.

Limiting the the number of photos that I take, and printing them out to display on the walls or in scrapbooks.

Working on a jigsaw puzzle for long periods at a time.

Setting aside an amount of time to read, with the phone in another room.

Watching a long film or television programme without a second screen to hand.

Making an actual phone call, and giving all my attention to the person on the other end.

Meeting friends in person for a coffee, meal, drinks or just to hang out, and keeping phones out of sight. 

Having phone free spaces in the home, for example the study or garden.

Working on creative hobbies that use my hands, like journalling or painting.

And finally - trying to resist the urge to share every little thing on social media, or worse still, carry out activities for the sole purpose of sharing on social media!

Have you encountered the analogue trend?

Five excellent long-form Everest documentaries on YouTube

As I've mentioned before, recently I have become very interested in learning more about Mount Everest. I believe the modern term is 'deep dive', and I've been indulging myself with lots of buying and reading books, listening to podcasts and watching long documentary videos.

I've discovered that the amount of content on YouTube in particular can be quite overwhelming, and far too much of it is either shorts or clickbait videos that lack depth. A much better source of information are long-form documentaries, and luckily there are a wealth of excellent ones available to choose from. 

I'm going to share a few of my favourites, in what may well be part one of a series!

Everest 1998: IMAX (1998)

This film contains the first IMAX images from the summit. It makes it all look easy - if you want a behind the scenes description you can read No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs which really goes into the practicalities of making the film! The film covers the preparations for the climb, the trek to the summit and the return to Base Camp. The footage is beautiful, even when watched on a small screen. The film crew was on the mountain during the 1996 disaster and so shares some of the stories from that day (see the next video to find out more about that event).

The 1996 Disaster - Storm over Everest (2008)

This is a documentary and dramatisation of the events of the 1996 climbing season, when a storm trapped climbers high up in the mountains, leading to eight deaths including two experienced expedition leaders. It features interviews with many of the climbers that were there that day, along with  reconstructions of events. It's not that deep in terms of insight, but it's a good introduction to what happened and introduces you to some of the key players and timelines that you can then go and research further.

Summit Fever (1996)

This is the second Everest film featuring Brian Blessed (the first is Galahad of Everest which is also available on YouTube) and his exuberant enthusiasm for reaching the summit of Everest. This is his third and final attempt, and even though (spoiler alert) he doesn't actually make it to the top himself the film is very entertaining to watch. This team was also on the mountain during the 1996 disaster, and so you can see some footage of that event. The making of this film is chronicled in the book The Other Side of Everest by Matt Dickenson, director.

A Deadly Ascent (2019)

In two parts, this is the story of the 2019 Everest season, when 11 people died. It focuses on the problems of overcrowding on the mountain, and the issues of inexperienced people attempting to climb. It features interviews with Sherpa guides, climbers, and those who lost loved ones. It's a critical look at how people can buy their way to a summit attempt, and the impossibility of trying to help when something goes wrong at high altitude.

The Wildest Dream - Mallory and Everest (2010)

In 1999, Conrad Anker discovered George Mallory's body on the slopes of Everest. It's unknown whether or not Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine reached the summit in 1924 before they died, and Anker attempts to prove that they could have made it. He returns with climber Leo Holding and they recreate parts of the climb, wearing clothing from Mallory's time and attempting the Second Step, the trickiest part of the climb, without using the ladder that has been in place for almost all other attempts via that route. There's a clever mirroring of the historical story of Mallory and Irvine with the modern ascent story, and a poignant dramatisation imagining what it could have looked like if they had made it to the top.

Do let me know if you've found any others that I should watch!

Ways that modern technology has impressed me recently

Sometimes I find myself completely taken aback at just how far technology has come on in the last few years. It's not all good of course (AI slop on social media I'm looking at you!), but here are some ways that technology has impressed me.

Helping me to re-read a short story that has stuck with me over the years

I had a memory of a short science fiction story that I read as a teenager and I wanted to identify it.

This was my prompt - I’m looking for a short science fiction story. It was written/set I think maybe 1950s or earlier. It is about a group of men, I think two come to visit a third. During their visit a mysterious gas cloud covers the earth and sends everyone to sleep for a day. The men wear gas masks and don’t fall asleep. They observe everyone else sleeping. Then the next morning everyone else wakes up and doesn’t realise that they have missed a day.

I had quite a few key details wrong (there are four men and a woman, they are in a sealed room with oxygen and not wearing gas masks, it was written in 1913, and they actually assume that everyone else is dead and not just sleeping which is a little more horrifying), but not only did ChatGPT find me the story (The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle) it also found me an online copy as it is in the public domain. I went over to Amazon, and was able to download a free copy for my Kindle to read straightaway.

Deciphering an inscription from a book

I bought an old book recently with some handwritten text in the front that had been crossed out. Being nosy, I wanted to know what it said! I took a photo and uploaded it to ChatGPT which suggested adjusting the colour contrasts. I discovered that the original text was a different colour to the crossed over text, and so I was able to upload the contrasted image to ChatGPT which isolated the original text for me and filled in the gaps. I was able to work out almost all of the text (it's nothing exciting, just a name and location!)

Checking maths homework

My daughter was recently doing some maths homework, solving a geometry problem. She had a diagram where she needed to find the angles, and she had annotated the original worksheet page quite heavily with her workings out and final answer. She showed me how she could take a photo of the page and uploaded it to ChatGPT asking it to check her answers. It was able to find the key information from the question and confirm that she was right (yes we did double check with our resident maths expert!) 

Finding a short YouTube video that I watched once

I had a memory of a poignant video that I saw once on YouTube and wanted to watch again. All I could remember was that it was animated, and was about a woman's life and the last time that anyone thought about her. I had searched over and over on YouTube and elsewhere and couldn't find it, but ChatGPT found it in seconds. 

Here it is, if I have piqued your interest!

But what has not impressed me?!

I was looking for some new wall art recently, and thought I'd quite like a nice poster of a local town or city. How about Brighton? Well, even if you've never visited Brighton I think that you would quickly realise that this interesting effort, almost certainly AI generated, is not an accurate depiction!

Have you found any ways in which technology has impressed you?

Things I've written about recently in my journal

Over the last year I allowed myself to get out of the habit of regular journalling. I'm not sure why exactly, but although I often thought of something that I would like to journal about, I couldn't encourage myself to pick up a pen and start writing.

But I have recently been inspired again, and here are some of the things that I've been writing about:

* I found a diagram in my daughter's Geography textbook which I found really interesting. It was very similar to this one on BBC Bitesize, and it explained how caves, arches, stacks and stumps are formed. I don't know why, but something about it really appealed to me, so I made a copy and stuck it in!

* We bought a new side table which matches some of our existing furniture, and so I glued in the page from the catalogue. It will remind me in the future which range it is, in case we want to add to it, and as I'm hoping to own the furniture for a good while yet I think it will be interesting to look back on.

* I wrote about a walk that I took on a sunny day over the weekend, and painted the background green to match the lovely green fields that I walked through.

* I documented a positive technology experience - using ChatGPT to find out the name and author of a science fiction short story that I remember enjoying years ago and then finding a free public domain copy on Amazon which I could download to my Kindle ("The Poison Belt" by Arthur Conan Doyle if you are interested).

* Before Christmas I bought some beautiful poinsettia plants which still look lovely, and I pressed some of the leaves. I then painted a page green and glued in the leaves, I love the papery texture. It didn't capture the true colours that well, but it's a reminder of how much I enjoyed the bright red leaves before they start to fade.

I also have a couple of other notebooks/journals that I update regularly. I have a Gardening Journal, and I've been making notes of how the garden is coming on this spring, things that I've planted and so on. I also have an Everest Journal, although it is slowly expanding into a more general Himalayan, mountaineering journal. This week I watched 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible and I've been making notes about the things that I found interesting.

Photo credit lilartsy via Unsplash

I'm so glad that I've picked up the habit again!