Archive | March, 2013

When will spring arrive?

29. March 2013

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This has to be the most popular question being asked in  the UK  as the country continues to shiver in freezing temperatures. Large spades of optimism are certainly what gardeners need at the moment as this cold spell is set to continue  until the middle of April. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/21977085 Here is a video from this weeks […]

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Cold weather v climate change

28. March 2013

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Cold weather v climate change

Many people are suggesting that the current long spell of very cold weather in the UK  means  that global warming has ended. This ill-informed  thinking highlights how much confusion there is about: : The difference between weather and climate. Weather is caused by disturbances within the atmosphere, but climate is controlled by external influences, such […]

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Climate change warning by John Bedington

25. March 2013

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On yet another snowy and cold day across the UK, the government’s outgoing chief scientific adviser Professor Sir John Beddington linked the severe weather to climate change and warned that past emissions will lead to significant change over the next 20 years. Speaking on BBC Breakfast he explained: “In a sense we have moved from […]

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Coldest March for 50 years

24. March 2013

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The UK is already on course for the coldest March since 1970, in sharp contrast to last year’s record breaking heat. Forecasters have predicted that we may have to look back as far as 1962 to find such a bitter start to spring as the mercury plummets again next week. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/9948450/The-competition-for-coldest-March-in-50-years.html Spring is certainly finding […]

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First day of spring but winter lingers on

20. March 2013

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The first day of spring arrived but with very little sign of warmer temperatures normally associated with this very important day in the gardening calender. It has been a complete contrast to this time last year when the UK was enjoying a heatwave. Matthew Oates, a naturalist working with the National Trust,  recalls how the  heatwave […]

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NASA climate change video

19. March 2013

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NASA has produced this 90 second video that helps explain why climate change is happening. It sets out the key issues in an easy to understand cartoon style and hopefully will convert some of the many climate cynics that still think climate change is not happening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85TQHzS88L4 Its worth checking out their Facebook page as […]

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Guerilla Gardening

15. March 2013

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Guerilla Gardening is a radical way of planting up unused urban spaces for communities to enjoy. Watch this amazing video to appreciate how powerful this can be for inner cities. http://transitionculture.org/2013/03/13/ron-finley-a-guerilla-gardener-in-south-central-la/

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Coldest UK March for 27 years

13. March 2013

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March certainly belongs to winter this year and has not heralded the start of spring as we normally expect.The spring bulbs are shivering in very cold temperatures with snow covering much of the UK as the coldest March for 27 years spreads its icy grip across the country. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/03/11/coldest-march-day-since-1986_n_2853592.html Looks like this freeze is set […]

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Gardening on the internet?

11. March 2013

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How do you use the internet for gardening advice/ information? Do you belong to gardening forums? If yes, which ones? Or maybe you just search for the information you need? Where do you learn about what grows well in your climate/ area and what does not? Looking to hear about how you garden on the net […]

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Work your Water Butt this winter

10. March 2013

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                                         How well do you work your butt? Your water butt that is… A survey 3 years ago by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust  found that nearly two thirds of gardeners said they had a water […]

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