Archive | August, 2011

Kew revives wild flower meadows

18. August 2011

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 Forget planting a tree. If you really want to fight climate change and boost wildlife, it appears that you would be better off investing your money in protecting a local wild flower meadow. To assist with this mission, Kew gardens today announced that they are launching a seed bank for native plant species that will help […]

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London Honey Festival

17. August 2011

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    Something for the weekend :The London Honey Festival, Royal Festival Hall, 21st August This is a free public event at the Royal Festival Hall, 21st August from 12pm to 5pm.  A huge number of London beekeepers will be behind stalls with information on bees, observation hives, and honey samples. You will also be […]

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Big Biochar experiment

15. August 2011

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Would you like to receive a sample of  the soil enhancer Biochar and take part in a ground breaking experiment? Oxford Biochar is pioneering the first large-scale experiment on the use of biochar on British allotments and gardens. It aims to gather quantitative data on above- and below-ground productivity, and qualitative data on plant and soil health […]

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Kew’s Tweet and Grow

14. August 2011

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Kew’s Tweet and Grow

Kew Gardens is still my favourite green place to visit when I am in London as it transports you to far away places with its amazing display of global plants. This summer visitors can travel the world as Kew is offering plants that enjoy the heat of the tropical rainforest or the tranquility of the […]

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London needs green therapy

12. August 2011

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After the riots in London over the past week it is time for communities to rebuild trust and create harmony with one another. Creating a garden and growing food can bring a common sense of achievment and value to individuals feeling isolated and challenged by inner city living. I stumbled across an example of this just around the […]

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Global urban bee-keeping

8. August 2011

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Cities such as Melbourne, New York, Berlin and London are reporting a huge increase in the number of bee hives.  All over our cities, on office rooftops, in parks and allotments, and in school grounds and urban backyards, bees are buzzing. In just three years, membership of the British Beekeeping Association has doubled to 20,000, as […]

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Rainwater is gold for gardeners

4. August 2011

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Rainwater is gold for gardeners

The rain has arrvied in buckets loads today with most parts of the UK receiving heavy downpours consistent with the humid sunny weather of the past few days. Summer gardening in the UK is increasingly becoming a battleground.Long periods of drought makes the ground very hard which means that when the rain does finally arrive, this precious “gold” liquid often runs off […]

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UK tropical heatwave

3. August 2011

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The UK is experiencing a mini heatwave at last this summer! Temperatures have been hotter over the past few days than Turkey or India with the mercury reaching 28c – 83f – at Heathrow yesterday and temperatures in inner London up to 30c. It is also very humid which is great news for tropical plants like my […]

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Americans dig deeper

1. August 2011

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Whilst politicians in Washington debate the future of the American deficit, it appears that across the country, citizens are discovering inventive ways to support themselves by growing more and more of their own food. Urban Farming is the new American craze being driven by people’s craving for a connection to their food source and for […]

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