In this week’s gardening news we bring you an update on sparrows, winter bedding and a recent legionella outbreak…
Sparrow populations helped by untidy gardens
Sparrows helped by wild(er) gardens
Sparrow populations have stabilised after many years of decline, helped in part by less manicured gardens. Gardeners who have been leaving parts of their gardens to grow wild in a bid to help dwindling wildlife populations may have contributed halting the decline of sparrows, according to the results of a British survey.
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Legionella cases linked to compost
Legionnaires’ disease outbreak linked to compost
A recent outbreak of Legionella longbeachae in Scotland has been linked to compost, prompting health experts to recommend that warning labels are put on bags of compost. While the risk of contracting the disease remains low, gardeners are advised to wear gloves when handling compost, not to breathe in the dust and to wash their hands immediately after use.
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Winter bedding plants give a much-needed splash of colour
Autumn clean-up and winter planting schemes
As summer comes to an end and the autumn clean-up begins in earnest, it’s the perfect time to be thinking about winter planting schemes. Overcome the dull, cold days by adding a welcome splash of colour to your garden with winter bedding plants such as pansies, violas, wallflowers, stocks and forget-me-nots.
Rebecca works in the Marketing department as part of the busy web team, focusing on updating the UK news and blog pages and Thompson & Morgan’s international website. Rebecca enjoys gardening and learning about flowers and growing vegetables with her young daughter.
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