The 5,000th plant has been added to the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) free and unique online service, RHS Plant Selector. The plant, Adam’s laburnum (+ Laburnocytisus 'Adamii'), is a deciduous tree and a graft-hybrid between laburnum and purple broom. It bears flowers of each separately and also some intermediate ones. The online service is an ideal source of … [Read more...] about RHS plant finder online reaches 5000 entries
Gardeners
National beanpole week highlights plight of birds
Gardeners are being urged to purchase coppiced beanpoles, sourced from local forests, to help protect birds such as the nightingale. Bringing coppiced woodlands back to our countryside will help threatened birds including nightingales and willow warblers, according to the RSPB. Coppicing is the craft of carefully cutting trees to ground level and managing the new shoots … [Read more...] about National beanpole week highlights plight of birds
Caution – Don’t roast a hedgehog
A warning has gone out for anyone building a bonfire this Autumn to watch out for hedgehogs settling down to hibernate. Stacks of leaves, branches and general autumn waste are ideal sanctuaries for hedgehogs looking to settle down for the winter. At this time of year villages and communities are starting to create large piles of sticks and twigs ahead of November the 5th … [Read more...] about Caution – Don’t roast a hedgehog
First signs of Spring in Cumbria
Looking out into the garden this afternoon we can see the first signs of spring. After all the cold icy weather the first shoots and flowers are starting to appear indicating the winter will soon be behind us. … [Read more...] about First signs of Spring in Cumbria
The virtual nature reserve
England’s newest wildlife reserve - the Big Wildlife Garden – is ready for exploration! Launched this week by Natural England, via it's website, it creates an online network of gardens and open spaces and encourages people of all ages to discover how to attract more wildlife into their gardens. The website enables users to log their own diaries noting seasonal … [Read more...] about The virtual nature reserve