Fresh air, exercise & leaf mould

I was brought up in a fairly rural village and my mother’s mantra for a healthy childhood seemed to be “fresh air and exercise”.  That suited me pretty well as we children roamed the country lanes on our bicycles (more likely to meet a tractor than a car) and I spent many happy hours in a huge tract of National...

Autumn gardening & the biodiversity crisis

Two decades into the 21st century I reckon that it is time to stop separating the plants in our gardens from the wildlife.  A fabulous garden should not ignore the potential to benefit biodiversity as well as the human residents.  We have all read about insect pollinators being required for a good crop of fruit and vegetables and few people...

Plant survival techniques

It seems that as we move into September and the start of autumn the weather is following a much more typical pattern so that plants as well as people know exactly where they are in the year!  With the late spring frost and snow – remember that? – and two months of soaring temperatures here in Kent with no rain...