Interesting Gardener's Recycling News

I saw this interesting piece of news over the Easter weekend (to be honest, I think BBC News 24 was running out of stories over such a quiet weekend, apart from the weather, of course!) that I wanted to share with you. I was really glad I caught it (only because I was sheltering from the weather during a hailstorm, most likely!).

Now, we've all been to the garden centre and bought our plants, whether one or two on a whim, or when planting up a border. And you end up with these




Lots of plastic pots, of various shapes and sizes. What some garden centres are now encouraging, is that we bring these back to the centre for recycling. The hope is that the more this happens, the more these can be recycled here in the UK, rather than sending them abroad for processing. And the less will end up in landfill. When they recycle them, they end up with tiny bits of plastic, that will end up making - more pots! Which we will buy full of some plant or other (or several!) to be taken back to the garden centre for recycling ... and so the cycle continues.

We gardeners are an eco-friendly lot, not to say that non-gardeners aren't, but I would think that it's safe to say we are at least more aware of the earth, it's bounty, beauty and fragility. You certainly don't have to tell me twice! I am all for this scheme. The garden centre featured was one of the larger chains in this country, none of which are near me as they are all, or mostly, in the country (I mean not in London-town). But I for one will be asking my local garden centre if they will be signing up to such a thing. I don't want them to have to suffer monetarily to participate, as they are only small and local, but I hope this really can be rolled out across the board. But I would happily travel a bit with a bag of plastic pots to wherever they might accept them for recycling (I'm thinking perhaps my nearest Homebase, a bus ride away, might do so?). Heck, they won't weigh too much for me to transport!

It's been a lovely week so far. I don't mean weather-wise; a bit up and down, not cold by any means, but drizzly and drippy (not that I mind that - well, not too much, I would like the ground to dry out a bit so I can dig properly, you know where) but the most wonderful thing has been the time change. We moved our clocks forward on Sunday, so even though I really missed that hour during the day on Sunday, considering all the work I did, it is so very, very nice to come home from work and still have some light left. Light enough for me to prowl the borders and see how things are going, with perhaps a glass of wine in hand. It is such a joy to wander out there, after work, and have a look, and a bit of a poke and prod, if need be! If I didn't have to make dinner and all the rest of life, I would be out there with a fork, spade, trowel and bucket doing as much as I could with the light.

But it will only get lighter and lighter now!

Happy April, one and all.