This month’s topic is borders and I don’t mean flower borders. It relates directly to the FAO’s key message 1 http://www.fao.org/plant-health-2020/about/en/ “Be careful when bringing plants and plant products across borders”. It’s relevant in August as many people will have travelled on holiday but I also want to ponder a little on the function and value of borders relating to protecting plant …
International Year of Plant Health – July 2020
Education. Schools are now out for summer after months of lockdown and here’s the opportunity. Instead of parents worrying that their children are behind with schoolwork, perhaps summer activities will be positive learning experiences that will help children of all ages return to school in September in good frames of mind. For this blog I’ll review a few resources that …
International year of Plant Health – June 2020
Food. We all like it, we all need it and most of us take its availability for granted. In lockdown we have had a taster of not being able to shop for food when we want to or the expectation that we can enjoy a wide selection of cuisines in restaurants. But what if it weren’t simply a question of …
International Year of Plant Health – May 2020
This month my focus is creativity. You might think that’s a bit abstract but stick with me. Pandemic lockdown has given me time and space to try new things (more on that later) and so it seems have others, young and old; making music, art, crafts, technology, writing etc. In doing so many have discovered they have new skills and …
The Helix and the Hoe
Song composed and played by Simon Peck, vocals Celia Knight
Making a Difference
My view from the kitchen sink Is up the path A climb to the gate And out and away. Then I was at home I had time to think differently I made a changed space It had a new purpose. Now I sit and look down the path I have a different view I have a new perspective It feels …
International Year of Plant Health – April 2020
Spring has arrived and the Coronavirus lockdown means if we’re lucky to have gardens we are likely giving them more attention. For this month’s blog I’ll be focussing on plant health in gardens and ways in which every one of us can support the International Year of Plant Health by the choices we make. This is a time to source …
International Year of Plant Health – March 2020
No prizes for guessing the topic for this month’s blog – viruses. As we are all adjusting to unprecedented life changes caused by the Coronavirus (also called Covid-19) pandemic, it seemed appropriate to share some words and links about plant viruses and their impact on plant health. This won’t all be a doom and gloom blog though, the devastation that …
Out of Sight
A poem prompted by seeing a fallen tree on a solo walk A tree fallen over its roots, clear to see no longer able to hold up the above ground beautiful tree. The sea, crystal clear no longer able to support a busy metropolis beneath the waves. How did this happen to the soil and the ocean? Did we not …