If you're a reader from Norfolk, then the Norfolk Wildlife Trust need you. They're starting a hunt for the great parasite of yuletide - no not that annoying relative who wangles their way round for christmas dinner each year - but the wonderfully snog-inducing Mistletoe.
The survey has been created in order to find out whether the plant is in decline in the county - which would clearly be a worry for any sickle wielding modern-day Getafix. It's a shame that the survey isn't country-wide, but it doesn't stop all of us looking out for it anyway, as it is quite splendid.
So if you do live in the environs of Norfolk and spot some Mistletoe, the Trust want to know when and where you found it, and on what tree it was growing. You can tell them by filling in an online form. It's easy as mince pie, and you can even upload photos! Such is the magic of Christmas.
[via Green Jelly Bean]
Beating nature at its own game is the story of the human race: we overcame gravity and flew to the Moon; we made mice grow ears on their backs; we even bettered the mighty earthquake by killing thousands of people with atom bombs. And now, reports the New Scientist, it looks like we're about to create a 'super-photosynthesizing leaf that will produce more leaf matter, using less solar energy and fewer nutrients'.
So is the dawn of the bionic leaf upon us? A leaf that will better nature's own 'poor' attempts at photosynthesis? No. Though I'm no scientist myself, it seems that all researchers at the University of Illinois have done is create a computer model of how a leaf works, fiddled with numbers to alter its constituent parts and noted the outcome.
Like I say, I'm no scientist, but isn't it a bit like running a computer model of the London Underground, taking out half of the commuters and announcing that it runs more smoothly. No, probably not.
The fight for allotment space has become so frantic, it seems, that some are having to resort to getting their fix online. At least, that was what I assumed when I first discovered Growveg.com
On a closer inspection it is not, in fact, a playground for frustrated would-be allotment owners: it's more a tool for those who want to take their real vegetable plot to their desk. The site lets you draw a virtual model of your garden, selecting fruit and veg you want to grow, and it gives you heaps of info on how to care for those particular crops, including how much space they need, feeding, natural pest control advice and much more. It's a great idea for a site and playing with it is a lot of fun even if (like me) your 'garden' amounts to a neglected balcony.
Liking the idea of presiding godlike over your own plantation? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here!
They're more attractive than plastic trees, they don't shed like cut trees, you can reuse them, and they help the environment too. Gone are the days of destroying Norwegian forests in order to get hold of trees - you can buy them from sustainable plantations in England, with every tree taken replaced. The Christmas tree "farms" themselves protect eco-systems by acting as a buffer against erosion and contamination from nearby waterways, as well as absorbing C02 emissions. When the tree finally dies, it becomes useful compost - rather than just ending up as landfill like a plastic tree. Visit The British Christmas Tree Growers Association for more information.
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I know some of you super-organised people out there will already have started thinking about decorating your homes in anticipation of the festive season - and I imagine the suddenly rather wintery weather may well have been a catalyst! If you like to go overboard in the run-up to Christmas, but aren't so keen on the idea of the usual plastic, planet-pillaging decor, keep reading... Instead of tinsel and baubles, use potted poinsettias, rosemary, thyme and sage, branches of mistletoe and holly wreaths. Eschewing a tacky plastic tree is also better for the environment, as well as being far more aesthetically pleasing. If you look after it properly, you can use a living, potted tree year after year, and it won't get tatty round the edges like its artificial counterparts, or shed its needles like a cut tree.
If you need further inspiration on what to use and how, there's plenty of help out there. For instance, leafing (ho ho) through the latest Royal Horticultural Society Diary of Events this morning, I spotted a flower-arranging demonstration entitled 'A merry floral Christmas' taking place in Lawrence Hall on Greycoat Street in London on the 9th November - the demonstration takes place at 2.15pm, and is repeated at 4.15pm. If you're considering getting yourself a living Christmas tree, these tips should help you keep it healthy.
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Did you know the cut flower business in the UK is worth as staggering £1.5bn a year? Yet only a tiny percentage of companies offer locally grown, seasonal flowers while most (85%) are imported from places like Kenya. Last year alone 19,000 tonnes of flowers were flown in from Africa which equates to a whopping 33,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions
If you love flowers, but want to keep your carbon footprint low you should buy from Wiggly Wrigglers. They are one of the few UK companies who ensure their flowers are sourced locally, and are totally seasonal. You can order bouquets for yourself, or as a gift for your loved one. They are wrapped in craft gift paper and a free card is available for your personal message. Obviously you have to factor in the courier delivery when you consider the carbon footprint of the bouquets, but it's a whole lot smaller than a flight from Kenya! Prices start from £35.
We're coming into October, and now is the time for thinking about next year’s garden. It may seem that this year’s crop is only just ending, but with frosts predicted for this weekend, the Autumn is well and truly here and it’s time to start planning those bulbs for next Spring, the over-wintering onions, peas and garlic, planting those raspberry canes and ordering next year’s seeds.
That’s where the 2008 Organic Gardening Catalogue comes in handy and makes you spend more money than you’d planned.
In case you’ve not come across it before, the Organic Gardening Catalogue has everything you could possibly need – and many things you didn’t know you needed – for organic gardening, at home and in the allotment. This is the place for organic seeds, heritage varieties of plants, green manures, organic fertilisers, biological pest controls, tools, books, and even Christmas gifts for the enthusiastic gardener in your life.
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Composting has to be one of the ultimate green activities. It stops tons of waste being put in landfill and makes a useful product that can return nutrients to the earth and help grow lots of lovely fruit and veg at home. What more could you ask?
And yet, many people don't compost. Why could this be? One very common reason is that they don't know how, especially how to get started. That is where compost clinics and workshops come in.
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I know it shouldn't really matter what your compost bin looks like, but if money was no object I'd treat myself to one of these Baby Beehives from Wiggly Wrigglers. It's much more aesthetically pleasing than the big black plastic ones the council provide and more importantly it is made from 100% sustainable wood. The baby Beehive has a little drawer at the bottom so you can easily access your compost when you need it, and for those bigger jobs each section is removable so you can use more at once. It's cleverly designed to allow air circulation and will hold around 200 litres. It's available in plain wood, white or blue but you can have one custom painted from a choice of seven colours upon request. It will cost you £100 for plain and £125 for coloured. Pretty!
Related: 163 things you can compost from PlanTea
A while ago I told you about New Yorker Colin Beavan (No Impact Man) who inspired me with his blog about living a totally sustainable life in the heart of NYC. Not to be outdone Manny Howard has created a farm in his small garden in the suburbs of Brooklyn, where he plans to grow everything he and his family need to survive for one month. The whole experience has been chronicled in an amusing article in this month's New York Magazine. You can read about his exploits which include a freak tornado, killer rabbits, stinky chickens and a marriage on the rocks.
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