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Climate change makes trees grow faster

19. July 2010

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Climate change makes trees grow faster

A recent study of trees in eastern America suggests that forests could be growing faster now than they were 200 years ago as a result of climate change.The trees appear to have accelerated growth rates due to longer growing seasons and higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The study in Maryland suggests that […]

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Frosts and Fruit trees

3. May 2010

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Frosts and Fruit trees

There is a ground frost predicted in SE england tonight -with temperatures dipping as low as 1c. Just popped my head outside to see a clear and very stary night which looks beautiful. Not good news for any tender plants, especially the blossom on fruit trees which is always at risk during April/May in the […]

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Blooming London

20. March 2010

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Blooming London

Every day – depending on what our unpredictable English weather delivers – I visit either Russell or Gordon Square located in the heart of Bloomsbury to get my daily green fix. They are located very near to where I work at the University of London and are like a magnet, drawing me out of the […]

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Trees are good friends

24. November 2009

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Trees are good friends

National Tree Week runs from 25th November until 6 December.http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/?q=node/858 Launched in 1975, this traditionally marks the beginning of the winter tree planting season which is great news for exploring how you can add new trees to your garden. A winter flowering cherry is a wonderful specimen for this time of year providing an attractive […]

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Climate Change inspires London trees

14. October 2009

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Climate Change inspires London trees

London’s parks are looking particularly spectacular at the moment. The wonderful late Autumn sunshine is providing a stunning display of colours across the capital. I took these photos in one of my favourite open spaces in the capital – Hampstead Heath which boasts  320 hectares (790 acres) of parkland covered with many thousands of trees.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampstead_Heath […]

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Trees suffer in early Autumn drought

2. October 2009

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The lack of rainfall in South East England and East Anglia is producing an Autumn drought which is threatening many of our native tree specimens. The Met Offiice said that in the South East as a whole there was just 35mm of rain in August, compared to an average of 50mm. In September was only […]

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Carbon Connection – Rainforest SOS

14. July 2009

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Carbon Connection – Rainforest SOS

Just one day of tropical forest emissions from deforestation is equal to 12.5 million people flying from London to New York. This impressive fact was used in my favourite garden at the Hampton Court Flower Show – “The Carbon Connection.” designed by Fiona Stephenson. Fiona created a stunning display of horticultural art with ecological meaning […]

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Anyone for Fruit salad?

16. April 2009

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Anyone for Fruit salad?

According to the RHS, rising average night temperatures in March and April and more growing days a year are allowing gardeners to produce a number of varities such as kiwis, peaches, nectarines and lemons without the protection of glasshouses. We may not manage to achieve large crops in the UK’s unpredicatable climate, but, it is […]

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Kew branches out

25. May 2008

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Kew branches out

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is THE place to visit in London if you want to see the world’s largest collection of 40,000 plants. I was at Kew yesterday to witness the opening of the new Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway which adds new meaning to the expression – a bird’s eye view! Balancing […]

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Trees under threat

16. May 2008

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The United Nations Environment Programme has just announced that it is planning to plant 7 billion trees before the end of 2008 in an effort to absorb CO2 and slow down climate change. If enough of them are planted it may be possible to make a difference and reverse some of the effects of deforestation […]

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