iNews reports once a staple of a 1970s garden, the pampas grass has burst back into fashion as a favourite of the Instagram generation. The plant’s dried fronds have made a comeback as the ultimate interiors accessory, with fans even resorting to stealing it from coastal beaches to get their style fix. But although pampas grass might be a trendy alternative to a vase of fresh flowers, it is no substitute for native grasses on UK coastal dunes, experts warned this week.
Tag Archives: garden
Plant thefts are on the rise – and here’s why your garden could be at risk
The Telegraph reports hang on to your hollyhocks! Not only has lockdown turned us into a nation of gardeners, it’s triggered an unlikely new crime wave
Overground stations transformed into solar-powered green spaces
iNEWS reports just a few meters away from the Overground rail track at Brondesbury Park, in north-west London overgrown, dilapidated surrounding land has been transformed by the company, Energy Garden, into a biodiverse, productive garden powered by solar. A sign attached to a fence invites anyone to come in and water the plants with a solar powered hose. This station is one of 34 to be similarly renovated.
Nature on the doorstep as front gardens bloom again
The Times, Daily Telegraph, and Daily Mail report they have been paved over, concreted and covered with gravel, more noted for their bins and bicycles than their begonias. But after decades of neglect, Britain’s front gardens are greening up. The amount of front garden greenery across the nation has grown by an area seventy times the size of Hyde Park since 2015, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. The gardening charity says the increase in front gardens that have been planted up should bring far-ranging benefits to people’s health and wellbeing, as well as the environment and wildlife.
Six ways to help look after wildlife this autumn
The Leader reports gardeners are being urged to hang out fat balls and avoid turning their compost heaps in order to help wildlife this autumn. Gardening experts from GardeningExpress.co.uk have shared six tips to help look after autumn wildlife.
From the humble hedgehog to toads and frogs, wildlife found in gardens across the country are starting to adapt and prepare for the winter ahead. Ensuring the animals have access to food, water and shelter will mean they have a much better chance of surviving the winter.
Bill Stanworth photo of male common toad croaking in garden pond.
Gardeners search for ooze control after surge in slugs
The Times reports the Royal Horticultural Society has warned that the slug population will peak this month. The problem is so acute that Europe’s only supplier of worms bred to defeat slugs has reported a double-digit percentage growth in sales. BASF, which breeds nematodes in Littlehampton, West Sussex, has increased production of the anti-slug bioweapon, which rots the pest from the inside.
Photo by www.bayercropscience.co.uk under creative commons.
Hedgehog rescue centres see sharp rise in injuries causes by 3 common gardening tools
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.
More birds and bees, please! 12 easy, expert ways to rewild your garden
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.
Gardening gives same health benefits as living in a wealthy area
Inews reports spending time in the garden is so therapeutic that it’s as good for your mental and physical health as living in a very wealthy area, according to a study published in the Landscape and Urban Planning journal. People who regularly spend time in the garden are significantly more likely to report general good health, higher psychological wellbeing and greater physical activity levels than those who don’t.
Photo of RHS Chelsea Garden Show 2014 by Karen Roe under creative commons.
How to show your children the wilder side of life in your garden
The Telegraph reports the coronavirus crisis has forced most of us to stay at home, and those of us with gardens are making hay while the sun shines. So, with so much extra time at home, why don’t we all do a bit more for wildlife? If you’ve been meaning to make a hedgehog house or a bee hotel, dig a pond or plant a wild flower meadow, there’s never been a better time. Get your children involved and teach them and yourself to identify bees and recognise birdsong.