What has causes a devestating decline in British and Irish flora? Read more

Ideas from the American NRDC about how to develop a sustainable alternative for your lawn. Read more

Part 1 was about your lawn; Part 2 about your scythe and blade. Part 3 is about scything techniques for short grass. With a bit of practice, you don’t really need the plastic, resource use, electricity and noise involved with lawn-mowers. Read more

Part 1 was about your lawn; Part 2 is about your scythe and blade; and Part 3 about scything techniques for short grass. With a bit of practice, you don’t really need the plastic, resource use, electricity and noise involved with lawn-mowers. Read more

We’re often asked if it is possible to mow a lawn with a scythe. The answer is yes and there are many people in the UK doing just that! Lawn mowing can be a test of a scythers skill, it takes some thought and practice to do well. Here is a summary of the factors… Continue reading Using a scythe to cut your lawn, not a lawn-mower: Part 1 – the grass Read more

Hi. I’m Andy Reynolds – author, instructor, forester, promoter of self-reliance, and for the last few years I have been reflecting on our project’s progression, as it seems to have reached the stage of early maturity. The project – rebuilding a home, and changing the surrounding fields from dead agricultural land into an oasis of… Continue reading Building your own sustainable future Read more

From herbs to moss and more, we share a first instalment from our friends at Ethical.net about sustainable alternatives to garden lawns. Read more

Keen to transform your lawn into a wildflower meadow but not sure how? Nick Mann of Habitat Aid shares his guide to sowing wildflower seed onto grass. Read more

As the winter solstice approaches, Nick Mann of Habitat Aid takes a welcome look forward to the delights of his wildflower meadows in spring. Read more

As summertime nears, Nick Mann of Habitat Aid shares a snapshot of a Somerset meadow, rediscovering the extraordinary ordinary of the nature found within. Read more

Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares her six easy steps to welcome in the wildlife by turning a garden lawn into a native wildflower meadow. Read more

Lesley Anderson learns about the ups and downs of life for crofters Beth and Tim Rose in the Scottish Highlands. Read more

Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares Part 6 of her mini meadow series. This time, she has a close encounter with two very special guests to her garden: a wool carder bee and leafcutter bee. Read more

In Part 5 of Jo Cartmell’s mini meadow series, she shares news of a surprise in the mini meadow and new arrivals in the orchard meadow. Read more

With careful management the orchard floor can become a thriving wildflower meadow, a habitat which is not only good for the wildlife, but also good for the soul.  Read more

As we move into June and summer beckons, Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares Part 4 of her Mini Meadow journey, with Nature very much in charge. Read more

In the third part of Jo Cartmell’s mini meadow series, she asks just how it is that Nature comes to be regarded as kith and kin and explores the importance of establishing a true connection with Nature from a young age. Read more

In the second instalment of Jo Cartmell’s mini meadow series, she takes us on a magical journey to meet the insects who inhabit it, illustrated with her own beautiful photos along the way. Read more

In a new series of guest blogs, former PA turned wildlife photographer Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares her journey transforming her garden into a haven for nature. It all began with the introduction of a mini meadow… over to Jo from here! Read more

I want to investigate at what size meat production becomes unsustainable (in terms of acreage, number of animals etc.) – i.e. whether it can be sustainable at all, and if so, whether there’s an upper limit, above which it can’t be sustainable Read more