Info, news & debate

Flower growing





Could the ‘paperpot transplanter’ be a boon for small farmers or is it just a gimmick?

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How about a human-powered tool that allows you to plant out 264 young plants per minute (!) without bending over? The paperpot transplanter, developed in Japan, allows you to do just that (if 264 seems a bit precise, it’s because each little paper chain contains 264 pots).

Read more about Could the ‘paperpot transplanter’ be a boon for small farmers or is it just a gimmick?



Ethical flower buying made easy with Catkin Flowers

How to buy flowers for someone you love without being part of an environmental nightmare: interview with Rachel Petheram of Catkin Flowers

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You don’t want to show someone you love them by damaging the environment, do you? It sounds unromantic, but it’s really difficult to buy flowers in the UK that aren’t sprayed with huge amounts of pesticides, doused with chemical preservatives and flown half way across the world.

Read more about How to buy flowers for someone you love without being part of an environmental nightmare: interview with Rachel Petheram of Catkin Flowers

Why do organic farmers have to pay for certification rather than farmers who use toxic chemicals?

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It’s always more expensive to do the right thing isn’t it? Like taking the train instead of driving or flying, or buying recycled products, organic food or natural building materials. If you want to do the environmentally-friendly or socially-just thing, it’s going to cost you more money. That can’t be right, can it?

Read more about Why do organic farmers have to pay for certification rather than farmers who use toxic chemicals?



wedding-featured

The price of the average wedding is now over £20k; how to do it for much less and give the finger to ‘Brides’ magazine

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Flanked by an advert for the Ocean Club honeymoon resort in the Bahamas, with young bride and groom toasting a glass of champagne, Brides – “the UK’s number 1 bridal magazine” announces to its readers that “Planning your wedding starts here”

Read more about The price of the average wedding is now over £20k; how to do it for much less and give the finger to ‘Brides’ magazine

paved gardens

3 million front gardens have been completely paved since 2005. Let’s try to reverse this trend.

The RHS 2015 Greening Grey Britain Report reveals that three times as many front gardens are paved over compared to ten years ago, a total increase of 15 square miles of ‘grey’, and that plant cover in front gardens has decreased by as much as 15%.  

Read more about 3 million front gardens have been completely paved since 2005. Let’s try to reverse this trend.