London’s seed savers mount a quiet revolution

Londoners are rising to the challenges of climate change, food poverty, entrenched inequalityand our nation’s mental and physical health crises by reviving one of the oldest human activities of allsowing, saving and sharing seeds. The Gaia Foundation’s latest short film, A Quiet Revolution, profiles London’s urban seed and food growers who are members of the London Freedom Seed Bank, a…

Wales Seed hub

A unique seed-selling coop, the Wales Seed Hub, is now offering gardeners a range of Welsh-grown seed of heritage and amateur vegetable varietiesThis is no ordinary seed company. For a start, the seed is all grown on members’ farms (in contrast to most seed you buy in the UK which is grown abroad – often as far afield as China).…

Frost: the silent killer 

Climate change is causing extremes of weather, and none is more deadly to your garden than the silent killer of frost. Gardeners are being urged to prepare for frost throughout winter and early spring by horticultural charity Garden Organic.  In January 2021 a record 18.5 air frost days were recorded in the UK.   When temperatures are low, frost will…

Our favourite festive feathered friend

There’s so much to love about a robin. They’re easy to spot with their handsome red breasts, they’re people-friendly and they provide us with beautiful birdsong pretty much all year round. No wonder they’re the UK’s favourite bird, says the RSPB.And Christmas is the time we really get to celebrate them. Stories about their association with the season go back…

How to put on a festive feast for birds!  

The cold snap of winter means steaming roast dinners and hot cocoa are back on the menu – and you can share the festive celebrations with the birds outside your window! Many of the foods we eat are also big hits with the birds, especially during the colder months when there are fewer natural food sources available and they need extra calories to stay warm.  Try sprinkling some of these treats on your bird table and see what turns up. Maybe your local robin, or a swirl of…

the Story of the Tomato at Chelsea

The ever-popular tomato certainly deserves respect! Its history has been littered with adventure, travel and even wartime propaganda! Burpee Europe and Pennard Plants will be joining forces this September to celebrate the ‘love apple’ with a display at the Chelsea Flower Show. Based around the forthcoming book ‘Ten Tomatoes That Changed The World’ by William Alexander, it will explain why…

E5 OR E10?

With the introduction last week of E5 and E10 petrol options many will be wondering what can be used in petrol driven gardening tools.E10, the cheaper option and introduced to reduce CO2 emissions, is made up of 90% regular unleaded and 10% ethanol, hence why it is called E10. On the other hand, E5, the dearer alternative, is made up…