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 …
International Year of Plant Health – February 2020
This month’s topic came to mind easily – Resilience. With Australian fires and UK floods in the news, it’s easy to see that plants can be destroyed in the extreme weather that comes with climate change. How does this relate to plant health? Just as humans are vulnerable to infections when stressed, plants subjected to extremes of e.g. heat, cold, …
International Year of Plant Health – January 2020
What a good start it’s been. Twitter is already active with some great links on plant health including:- The beautiful 1 minute International Plant Protection Convention video “I am Plants – I am life”. https://youtu.be/cmPAwiIK2BU Xylella – a 4 minute video narrated by Dame Helen Mirren on what we should all know about the threat Xylella poses to 100s of our …
International year of plant health – what does that mean for me?
The designation of an international year means that the United Nations member states have agreed the issue is important to the world. https://www.un.org/en/sections/observances/international-years/index.html What does that mean for me? Over the course of 2020, I will be writing a series of blogs that touch on the international guidance, regulations and ongoing research in plant health, but from angles that are relevant …