The Times reports the climbing plant has received the endorsement of the Royal Horticultural Society as the best to provide an architectural vest that keeps buildings cool in summer and warm in winter.
An experiment conducted by the society with the University of Reading suggested home owners should not be concerned about ivy harbouring damp, as the plant reduced relative humidity on warm winter days by 5.7 per cent.
Photo of ivy covered house by Karen under creative commons.
The Independent reports inevitably, some of the food we buy needs to be tossed. Food eventually goes bad. Leftovers sometimes go uneaten. Most fruit and vegetables have inedible bits: pips, seeds, rinds and cores. Rather than putting it in the landfill bin, we can do something better with these scraps.
Country Living report hedgehog rescue centres have reported a sharp rise in the number of gardening-related injuries, warning households to be extra vigilant when it comes to using tools such as strimmers, lawnmowers and garden forks.
The Guardian reports now is the perfect time to boost the biodiversity of any outside space you have – whether by buying your cat a bell or ditching the insecticides.
Photo by Jim Smart under creative commons.
The Express and Star reports mowing the lawn just once a month – and leaving some areas to grow long – provides a huge boost to flowers, bees and other wildlife, experts have said. The “Mohican” haircut approach to mowing is being recommended by wildlife charity Plantlife, after a citizen survey of lawns revealed they can support 200 different flowers and generate huge amounts of nectar for wildlife.
The Metro reports artificial grass creates a ‘desert’ and should be removed to help wildlife, experts have said. The fake turf is becoming a common sight around the UK, chosen by many because it requires little maintenance. But it is doing harm to the insects, birds and other wildlife that live here and have seen their habitat shrink.
Top photo of artificial grass by Perfect Grass under creative commons. Bottom photo of natural grass in a Normandy garden.
The BBC report that for many of us trapped in our homes during the coronavirus outbreak, our gardens offer sanctuary.
But what plants, insects and animals can we expect to see at this time of year? And how can we help everything flourish?
Nick Acheson, from Norfolk Wildlife Trust, filmed this report from his back garden explaining what to look out and what to do as spring comes into full swing.
The Telegraph reports the Woodland Trust is asking one million people to each plant a tree to fight climate change after the government failed to meet targets.
Today the conservation charity launched its ‘Big Climate Fightback’ campaign after figures showed just 1,420 hectares (3,500 acres) of woodland was created in England last year, far short of the 5,000-a-year (12,000 acres) which was promised.
The Telegraph report hedgehogs are dying because people are leaving netting out in their gardens, the RSPCA has warned.
The leading animal charity says that dozens of the small, spikey mammals have become entangled in football, badminton and pond nets causing fatal injuries and urged people to pack their equipment away.
Kate Bradbury writes in the Telegraph – My new pond is the heartbeat of the garden. It’s only a few weeks old, the plants are still small and the grass I sowed around the edge is but a five o’clock shadow on its muddy banks. And yet it’s permanently busy: this week I can’t see for house sparrows, and have spent hours laughing at the newly-fledged chicks taking their first bath.
Two blackbirds visit regularly for a drink and a wash, there are robins, goldfinches and tits, plus a huge herring gull that jumps in with an enormous splash and swims around in contented circles.
Photo of wildlife pond at Highdown by Leonora (Ellie) Enking under creative commons.
