The technique, called hugelkultur (HOO-gul-kul-tur), has the advantage of being simple to understand and easy to make, and lasting a long time

Ireland today has become like most modern countries; the aged are no longer valued

Most people today seem pretty miserable, ignorant and superstitious, and few people I know read books anymore

Greenhouses are a handy option for gardeners in most climates, albeit an expensive one

Most of our homes require large amounts of energy to run, which we burn fossil fuels to acquire

One of the most nutritious of vegetables overall

Medieval people regarded smiths as they did alchemists, people who could transfigure bits of the world into something else, and doing it feels a bit magical

An elegant-sounding, delicious, nutritious way to disguise leftovers.

The environment is the trees and weeds and insects around where we live, and how many of those could most people notice or name?

They help insulate your home, which can spare you heating and cooling costs

"I had been an investigative reporter and was not easily shocked, but I kept stopping them in conversation and asking to go back and explain something that sounded unbelievable"

They don’t do well dried or frozen, so they have to be used quickly, so in those weeks we’re busy using elderflowers any way we can.

You are investing in infrastructure like a house

Today most of us were raised not with the stories of our families and places

Teachers held classes in woods or in the corners of fields, teaching boys and girls alike, surrounded by hedges that hid them from passers-by.

Few parents would allow their child to wander the neighbourhood unsupervised, or play in the woods, or wander in and out of other houses

Look at the food we throw away and realise how much of it is quite edible

We screen out most of the relationships that would truly help us grow into understanding adults.

Few trees have as many uses

The common snails seen in Irish gardens are the same species as restaurant snails and are perfectly edible