Category: Environment

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KEEP OFF THE GRASS!

Or at least keep the mower, pesticide, herbicides and fertilisers off the grass. A lawn is a pretentious middle class monoculture of generally no practical function.

Longer grass with wildflowers, herbs and small shrubs provide food and cover for invertebrates and insects of all kinds. A study published yesterday showed a reduction in wildlife around the globe of 68% since 1970. (WWF et al).

My front lawn has been called wild and scruffy – thank you for the complement. My road has over 2ha. of front lawns – what a great nature reserve that could become?

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FIRES IN CALIFORNIA

An area twice the size of Somerset has burned in California this year, and the peak of the fire season is yet to come. Temperatures in LA have nudged 50C whilst Death Valley may have recorded the hottest ever temperature on earth. Air quality is amongst the worst in the world. Climate change is happening.

Needed: Better building codes.
Needed: Better building codes. Photographer: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
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CLIMATE CHANGE

A lot of people say Extinction Rebellion are going about things in the wrong way? F*** O**. What they really mean is write to your MP, or sign a petition and watch nothing happen!

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Flying

Slow down! The shut down halted most flights – not all as the rich continued with their private planes (of which about 50% of flights have no passengers!!). As planes are a major source of pollution this has to be a good thing. But people need holidays, and the cultural benefits of foreign travel are invaluable. A conundrum. Maybe shorter journeys abroad by train, and flights that are powered by electric planes (yes the technology is getting there), will be the way to go.

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REWILDING

Tens of millions of gardens across the UK have a large area devoted to mono culture. i.e. grass. Much of this is never sat on or played upon. Just cutting the grass once every 10-14 days. Benefit to wildlife = zero.

So I have rewilded my front lawn (and the back one too!). It started up with raised beds for herbs (mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, Jerusalem artichoke, fennel, anise hyssop), but has now spread to the whole former lawn. I have planted some bush roses and salvias, marigolds, poppy, chicory, and many other wildflowers (some donated by Di Redfern – thank you). I have put in 100 bulbs, and have 200 more coming. Some plants do well others do not – it will sort itself out with a little help from me.

Hopefully the increase in insects of all kinds will be beneficial to the environment.

I am much heartened to see a couple of other people leaving the flowers in their lawns alone.

It is not neat and tidy – nature does not ‘DO’ straight lines.