Gardening isn't traditionally the greenest of pursuits, with pesticides, weed killers and all manner of chemicals designed to wipe out anything that threatens the plants. Luckily things are beginning to improve and people are starting to realise that not all bugs are pests. Gardening Naturally sell ladybird larvae, which will hunt down and mercilessly kill any aphids that dare to set feet on your precious plants. An adult ladybird lays 20 to 50 eggs per day, and they take 4 to 8 days to hatch, depending on the weather. Then it's history for any greenfly or blackfly in the vicinity. Eventually you will end up with some rather pretty ladybirds, which will continue to scoff the evil leaf eating bugs until they eventually hibernate around September/October time.
30 larvae will treat around 5sq.m and cost £9.95. The latest batch of larvae are available from the week commencing 30th July.
Related: Bugs up close and personal with an insect study centre
If the wet weather is making your kids stir crazy, send them along to your local library to take part in The Big Wild Read. It's challenges kid's to read six books and to keep track of them in a special folder. For every book they read they can stick a tree token to their folder, and at the end of the challenge all of the tree tokens will go towards planting trees via the Woodland Trust Trees For All campaign.
Related: More Kid's stuff
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Natural England have joined forces with UK's leading wildlife and horticultural organisations to sign a wildlife gardening manifesto to help save Britain's gardens, especially those in urban areas. In London gardens are being concreted over to make way for car parks and entertainment venues. It is having a direct and devastating effect on wildlife and could be increasing the impact and risk of flash floods.
Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England said: “Through this manifesto, Natural England is calling to action businesses, the public sector and the public to play their part and give gardens a future – for the benefit of our own health and the survival of declining species, such as hedgehogs, frogs and bumblebees, that live on our doorsteps.”
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This hand powered chainsaw from Green Mountain Products really is for the hard core green gardener! Obviously you wouldn't take on a huge project with it, but for small jobs in the garden it really is perfect. It uses no fossil fuel, no electricity, just good old elbow grease. It's basically a couple of bits of sturdy rope with a carbon chainsaw 'blade' in the middle, and a little weight bag on one side which allows you to throw the rope over a branch so you can start cutting it. The main problem with the system seems to be that you have to stand under the branch you're trying to cut down, which is not the most sensible place to be! If you do get the hang of it I'm sure it's a very satisfying feeling, and certainly much quieter than traditional chainsaws!
Related: Low-pollution lawn mowers
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I just got a dog and it started me thinking about all the things I'll need, and if there are eco-friendly options. The first thing that came to mind was the poop scoop bags. I go out of my way to avoid plastic bags every minute of the day, so there's no way I'll be scooping my dog's poop up in a bag and adding it to landfill. There are several types of biodegradable bags available, including these ones by BioBags. Made from corn starch and vegetable oil they contain no plastics, and cost £7.50 for 100.
Related: Pero organic pet food | The Canine Cookie Company
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Gardeners are being urged to leave parts of their gardens slightly wild to encourage bumblebees to nest there. Dr Juliet Osborne, an ecologist at Rothamsted Research (an agricultural research centre) explained: "These kinds of gardens really provide a refuge for bumblebees, as long as people don't manage them too carefully. If you've got different grass areas, flower beds, compost heaps and hedges, there's a vast variety of habitats for bumblebees."
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Britannia Building Society are supporting the Woodland Trust's Trees For All campaign, which aims to allow every child in the UK to plant a tree. They hope to plant 12 million trees over the next five years, making it the largest children's tree planting project ever. Britannia Building Society have pledged to donate £5 to the Tree For All fund every time a children's account is opened in one of their branches, which will help the Woodland Trust reach their target and also raise awareness of the need to protect and create new landscapes in Britain. As part of this coalition 10,000 additional trees will be planted in 'Britannia Grove' at Wragby Wood, an existing Woodland Trust woodland in Lincolnshire.
Related: Playhouse Disney and the Woodland Trust team up | Dorothy Perkins teams up with the Woodland Trust
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