Plants, books, events & buys for the month ahead
`Patio project
Create a beautiful contrast in containers by pairing a variegated skimmia such as ‘Magic Marlot’ with plain, dark green-leaved ‘Rubella’. These winter and spring interest shrubs, along with dependable variegated ivy, can be relied upon to keep the patio stylish through winter. Group your containers together and infill any gaps with pops of colour from bedding cyclamen, and ornamental cabbages. Empty clay pots topped with decorative mulch help make a fulsome scene.
GET THE LOOK
Keep cosy when gardening this month with some of these handy heat-givers!
£25 Waterproof, windproof and breathable, available in four sizes. genus.gs
£42 Fully waterproof with cosy faux fur lining. cottontraders.com
£13.99 Thermal socks with elasticated arch and ankle supports. heatholders.co.uk
£21.99 Press the button to release heat! Available in four colours. gear-tech.co.uk
£6.98 Durable but warm and comfortable rigger gloves. moleonline.com
£13.95 Hand knitted, 100% wool, with fleece lining. fleurtations. uk.com
£19.99 Perfect for hot drinks, lid also serves as a cup. countryandhome.co.uk
SAVE THE BEES
A project to protect a ‘hopping’ bee from extinction has begun in Yorkshire. The small black tormentil mining bee has a distinctive hop as it flies and has been in drastic decline in recent years; lost from 50% of its former sites since the 1970s. The bee is dependent on the plant tormentil (Potentilla erecta) and its demise is being hastened by the loss of habitats rich in tormentil plants and sandy bare ground areas where it nests.
The Species Recovery Trust has teamed up with award-winning insect monitoring and biodiversity specialist, AgriSound, to develop a unique AI algorithm through its sensor devices (with the model name ‘Polly’) to monitor the bees (extremely difficult due to the ‘hopping’ flight) and collect data. More than 20 of the devices (right) will be distributed across the York Heathlands and North Yorkshire Moors to track the bees. This will enable interventions to be deployed to prevent their decline.
DAHLIA SHOW BACK AFTER NEARLY 180 YEARS!
The Stonehenge Dahlia Show was held this autumn after a gap of 178 years since the last one! Floral sculptures from local growers and dahlias grown by members of the National Dahlia Society were on show, close by the famous ancient stones. The original shows also contained music and sideshows and ran from 1842-1845.
Wish list
Pretty houseplants to brighten up winter and beyond…
A white poinsettia with finely cut bracts, this alternative to the traditional red will add an understated but stylish flourish to your
