Eaglestone Landscape Design

Check out these stylish bird feeders sold through Green and Blue.

Have a look at this amazing green roof I saw recently, beautifully planted.

Please go to the link below and sign the petition to get the government to reduce VAT on plants and seeds from 17.5% to 5%.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/news/VATpetition.asp

The reasoning behind their petition is to make plants more affordable (because they are ridiculously expensive sometimes), more are then bought and as a result our environment will be improved positively. If this petition is successful £175 million will be saved by plant buyers.

An article in The Independent on Sunday stated that Britain is one worst culprits for importing food. This is unsustainable environmentally and financially. Over 90% of the fresh fruit and 50% of vegetables is imported. Furthermore there has been a 21% drop in self-sufficiency in the UK since 1995 (IOS). As food prices continue to rise growing your own makes so much sense. “This year basic staples will cost £780 more than they did last year according to grocery comparison site mysupermarket.co.uk, with the cost of bread, butter, eggs and potatoes increasing by as much as 60 per cent in 12 months.” (The Independent 26.4.08).

On the flip side the Horticultural Trades Association claims there has been a 31% increase in the sale of vegetable seeds to householders. Also while in Lewes yesterday I was encouraged to see so many people growing their own. The satisfaction from growing your own is enormous and it is also far healthier for you (and the family)!

While I was Ireland I came across this mound which is very reminiscent of the snail mound in The Garden of Cosmic Speculation by Charles Jencks (the photo below illustrates the snail mound). Charles Jencks snail mound was inspired by DNA and is recognised as one of the most important and influential gardens of the 21st century. It was fascinating seeing something similar naturally sculpted rather than man-made. I presume erosion by sheep and the weather shaped this mound. This sculpting of the land inspired the amphitheatre effect we achieved in the Redhill garden where we sunk the trampoline in to the ground.