Latest news with #plants
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Plants and equipment seized in Coalville cannabis raid
Dozens of cannabis plants have been seized from a property in Police said 70 plants and additional equipment were discovered at a property in Forest Road, Coalville on Monday following "information from a partner agency".An investigation to identify who was responsible for the grow is under way following the discovery, the force added all of the plants that were seized will be destroyed.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Monty Don claims a garden 'doesn't need a single plant in it'
Monty Don has ruffled feathers by claiming that a garden doesn't need to have plants in. The gardening guru, 70, said that some of the most famous gardens in the world don't contain a single plant. Writing in his column for Gardeners' World, he said: 'A garden can be anything you want it to be, even if - and I know that this is heresy to many people - it does not include a single plant.' The beloved presenter pointed to the famous Stowe garden created by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, who is widely considered Britain's greatest gardener, in the late 18th century. Filled with monuments, Brown's gardens 'did not involve any particular interest in the specific plants used,' Monty explained. He also evoked the home roof garden of lauded Mexican architect Luis Barragán, which Monty visited, adding: 'It consisted of pink-painted walls, terracotta walls and nothing else save the sky - which Barragan insisted was an essential part of the garden.' While Monty himself appears to cherish plants of all varieties - his own garden is filled with numerous different species - Monty appears not to favour one type of gardening over any other. He said: 'We in Britain tend to have such a fixed idea of what a 'good' garden might look like. 'I have a garden happily filled to overflowing with plants. I love the physical process of raising and tending plants, but I also love visiting gardens that explore all the subconscious and spiritual possibilities that gardens can evoke and enrich.' On the subject of plants, the horticulturalist has previously urged dog owners to be 'sensible' about the varieties which could harm their pets. He made the comments earlier this year, as he prepared to unveil his dog-friendly garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Monty teamed up with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for his first - and 'I hope my last' - garden at Chelsea filled with features for dogs including a lawn, water to wallow in and trees to cast shade. Don defended the inclusion of plants that can be toxic to dogs in the garden, such as alliums and foxgloves, saying they were blooms he had alongside his pets without problems in his own garden. The RHS and Radio 2 dog garden, which was not be judged, was to be relocated to nearby Battersea Dogs & Cats Home after the world-famous event at the Chelsea Hospital, west London. Monty said they would remove any plants the charity did not want to have as part of the planting. The horticulturalist, who has presented on Chelsea since 1990 and has covered the show for the BBC without a break for more than a decade, also said creating the garden had been a 'humbling' process that made him 'hugely' respect designers and makers of gardens at RHS Chelsea. Speaking onsite, he said: 'It doesn't matter what kind of garden or how good or bad it is, it's an almost unimaginable amount of work because of the detail you have to attend to.' He added that he was looking forward to getting back to presenting coverage after his stint as a designer, which he described as 'moonlighting'. 'I now have real insight into the whole process. I didn't know I needed that and I do, it's humbling.' Don, who was originally approached by the RHS to design a dog-friendly garden, said he did not want the project, created with horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth, to have any message except for being about dogs. 'I wanted to see a garden at Chelsea that didn't have a message, that didn't set itself in an exotic situation, was absolutely set fair and square in 2025 in England and that was full of plants that either I did have or everybody could buy from their local garden centre, and with trees or shrubs that were native or long adapted to this country.' The lawn was central to the plot, surrounded by planting which can create shifting paths for dogs to take around the garden, and a large open-fronted 'dog house' with an old sofa for the animals to retreat to. The garden also featured long meadow grass for dogs to lie in, while Radio 2 presenter Jo Wiley suggested an area of water for dogs to wallow in, based on experience with her pets, Don said. There was a playfulness to the garden, with use of dogwood, round-headed alliums evoking balls dogs love to play with, and terracotta pots have been created with pawprints of Don's dog Ned who is regularly be seen following him around his garden on Gardeners' World. But while the lawn was created to look like it had been used by dogs and people, the team have stopped short of having holes dug in it or 'pee rings'. And Don said: 'There are plants in the garden that are technically poisonous to dogs. 'However, there are no plants that I don't have in my own garden and I've always had dogs. 'My view on this is actually the main plant I worry about is yew and we don't have that in the garden. 'In my experience dogs are sensible and owners are sensible.' Don added: 'We have a brief to make a beautiful garden for Chelsea. The only dogs that are going to be allowed on here are mine or others specifically invited and on a lead and under control. 'When it goes to Battersea it will not have any plants Battersea doesn't want to be there, we will remove any that they feel has any toxicity to their dogs,' he said. 'We're not saying these are plants that are perfectly safe, what are you making a fuss about? What I am saying is in my experience I've not had any problems with these plants, and I've had dogs for the last 65 years.' Many everyday activities from cutting with knives in the kitchen to driving a car or crossing the road were more dangerous than these plants were to dogs, he said. And he added: 'Just be sensible, don't get hysterical, but at the same time don't dismiss it.' He also said dog owners who are keen gardeners should not expect a perfect lawn because 'that's not compatible with dogs', and encouraged those who did not want their animals to be crashing through the flower beds to create low fences or hedging on borders or corners to stop them. An RHS spokesperson said the dog garden was 'primarily designed to bring joy and delight'. 'However, as RHS Chelsea is also a great place to inspire and educate, with some people perhaps not realising that a number of common garden plants could be harmful to dogs if eaten, the RHS and Monty are encouraging people to be aware, but also to be sensible, about dogs in their gardens at home. 'The garden raises awareness to keep an eye on pets amongst plants. Don't let them eat or dig up plants in borders and, as with anything, if you see them eating something in the garden and you see changes in behaviours or are worried or have doubts, call the vets.' They added: 'The garden will live on at Battersea, where experts from the charity will carefully select dog-friendly, non-toxic plants to live on where rescue dogs can enjoy them for years to come.'
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Bees are loving this pollinator haven
Pollinator-friendly plants like bergamot and clover fill Tannys Moffatt's Winnipeg front yard. A few years ago, she made a plan to replace her grass lawn with river stone and some carefully contained prairie plants.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
How to water your garden during a drought
Our gardens have been far from tranquil and relaxing during these intense periods of hot weather. Even in the shade, there can be little comfort found during the day, making gardens uncomfortable for us, let alone our plants. Watering can seem relentless, and with a heightened awareness of the scarcity of this resource – particularly due to the hosepipe bans that are in place in parts of the country – how do we water wisely to keep our plants healthy, while avoiding unnecessarily high water bills? Here's some advice to keep in mind. Greenhouses The greenhouse is one of the most difficult parts of your garden to manage during the high summer, requiring regular attention. The past few weekends have seen the greenhouses at West Dean reach over 40C, making even the cactus squint. In high summer, if plants are grown in containers, they should if possible be moved out of these hot houses into a shady part of the garden, to prevent them from drying out. If plants are to be kept in your greenhouse, then water first thing in the morning, and saturate the roots to hydrate them for the day ahead. A second watering during the early evening will help to reinvigorate your plant to avoid unnecessary stress, as temperatures remain high into the evening. Avoid watering your tomatoes in the evening, however, as damp foliage at night can cause perfect conditions for blight. Fruiting crops such as aubergines, tomatoes and peppers dislike fluctuating moisture levels as it can affect the development of the fruit; more consistent moisture level at the root will produce healthier plants and fruit. Cooling the temperatures down in your greenhouse can be achieved by painting a shading product onto the outside of the glass, which will reduce the amount of heat and light that enters the structure, resulting in the plants lasting longer between watering. Heat stress Plants can wilt from heat stress in the summer due to the warm temperatures, but can be moist at the root. Use your finger, and insert it into the root ball to detect any moisture levels. On hot days, if some of your plants are wilting, yet there is moisture at the root, they will soon recover when temperatures cool. Avoid adding more moisture to the root ball if it is saturated already, as extra watering will only cause more stress to the plant, and will potentially kill it. Grouping pots Grouping pots together will help to make watering more time efficient, with the extra humidity caused by dense foliage helping plants through tough times. During spells of particularly hot weather, move pots away from their sun-baked spots to areas in the shade, to help plants survive these difficult times. These periods of intense heat will damage most plants, but once the worst is over, it can be business as usual, and you can return them to their original spot. Acers in pots are especially vulnerable and should be protected. The damage comes from two fronts: scorched foliage by the sun and drying winds, coupled with high temperatures within the pot, causing root damage. Acers in pots are best placed in a sheltered, shady spot in the garden, and not allowed to dry out during the summer. Group plants with similar requirements together to help with your watering routine, and to avoid accidentally watering plants that don't require it; succulents and Mediterranean herbs will require less water than bedding plants, for instance, so group the pots of thirsty plants together. Top-dressing your containers with bark or gravel that is several centimetres deep, will also slow down evaporation; water well before applying the mulch. For large containers that cannot be moved into the shade, try draping an old net curtain or horticultural fleece over the plant, which will filter the light and reduce evaporation during times of excessive heat. How to water When it comes to a watering technique, most of the water is required at the root, not all over the leaves. A watering can is an efficient way to water your plants, as the amount of water that you apply can be easily controlled. Watering with a hosepipe – where it is allowed – can save time, but it is harder to gauge how much water you are applying. You'll be surprised how much water is given to a plant by just a few seconds from a hosepipe. To understand how much water you are giving your plant through a hosepipe, get a feel for how long you water the plant, and then hold that hosepipe over a bucket for the same amount of time. The amount of water that you are giving your plant will be visible within the bucket (you may be surprised by the high volume of water you are applying). Moreover, most of this water will drain out of the base of the pot and be wasted. Containers can be placed in a saucer, which will act as a reservoir to be utilised by the plants during hot spells. Automatic systems Irrigation techniques cover a vast spectrum: from an upside-down plastic drinks bottle with the bottom removed and filled with water as a reservoir, right the way through to soaker hoses on a timer, or a remotely monitored watering system controlled by an app. The most effective and efficient way to irrigate your plants is through a drip irrigation system, which pumps water through pipework to nozzles that are inserted into a root ball. This delivers water gradually, to meet the plant's needs with no wastage. Ultimately, there are pros and cons for automated systems, and they suit some people more than others. The level of sophistication that is delivered with these systems is also wide-ranging, as is the budget required to purchase them. I discovered that a solar-powered system that drew water from a recycled bottle from a water dispenser (the ones you find in an office), worked incredibly well and cost less than £50. Lawns In all honesty, it's very hard to maintain grass without copious amounts of water during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather. Tougher grasses will recover in the main, but finer lawns may suffer. Weeds tend to be more resilient than turf, with deeper roots, so they can make your lawn look untidy. Simply mow the tops off, avoiding damaging the grass by cutting with a higher-set blade. Scarify in the autumn to remove thatch and promote a more robust turf, or consider leaving some areas to grow long. Well-kept lawns are becoming increasingly hard to maintain and justify in such conditions; it's not what everyone likes to hear, but I'm afraid it's a harsh reality.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
What music can we make together with machines, plants and fungi?!
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Musically interacting with plants and fungi - what does that sound like? That is, when we - humans - take the time to stop, listen and respond? That's the question Pōneke artist and musician Kieran Monaghan has been asking with his ongoing project, In it he transforms the living data from plants and fungi into voltage, translated into music via a modular synthesizer. Long an experimental drummer with found sounds. Monaghan is exploring inter-species collaboration. Following residencies with the Audio Foundation and Toi Poneke, Monaghan holds the position of Visiting Scholar at Te Kōkī/New Zealand School of Music - Victoria University. and co-runs label Skirted Records with partner Chrissie Butler, who were for 23 years punk group Mr Sterile Assembly . have recently released a debut album GUEST , and are currently touring the country.
