Monty Don-eat your heart out

There is a very vague possibility that I shouldn't be allowed out into the garden. I am an undoubted disaster. So much for my green credentials.

Not only have my cabbages been stripped of any leaves whatsoever overnight but the "peas" I carefully staked have started sprouting lovely coloured flowers! They'll be sweet peas then.

You have to remember that this time last year, I carefully staked out emerging bindweed thinking it was beans.

Maybe I could write a book on gardening disasters. I may get drummed out of the Transition Town Growers' Group.

Talking of the Transition Town Movement, we went to the Green Fair at Regents Park on Saturday and the London branch was there. It's brilliant to see the TT net growing, we will report back to our core group here in Derbyshire tonight, but it was also great to see so many people there. The other thing I noticed was that there wasn't that much litter. That contrasted very sadly with Finsbury Park where we went for a picnic ( I know, blame elder daughter, it was her choice) on Friday night. It was absolutely foul, full of litter and rubbish. What is it about our nation? Why do we have to drop litter. People go to a green space and then completely ruin it.

What do you think? Any gardening disasters you want to share? What do you think about our rubbish problem? Have you seen CPRE's campaign to try to stop people throwing litter out of cars..that would be a start, don't you think?

End of rant, back to sorting out this quasi veg patch.

Il faut cultiver mon jardin

I remember that phrase from "Candide" when I was at Uni and as I sat at the bottom of my garden last week, glass of wine in hand, listening to the stream, the simplicity of nature struck me - and all right, I know I'm totally ignoring Voltaire's deep and meaningful philosophy from the book, but there are times when you need to be simple and shallow!

I've had a difficult time with an ailing mum and I needed to escape down to the bench and just close my eyes and listen to the bees, the babbling stream and the birds. It made me drop my shoulders and I definitely felt better.

Then the next morning, I got a text from the local Growers' Group. They are planting in the Community Garden and the text was all about what plants they were putting in, how the watering was going and what plans they had.

It made me smile.

There are moments, even when life is throwing the book at you that nature can remind you that plants still grow, flowers bud and blossom and spring comes.

Phew.

Voltaire can have his cynicism, thanks, I'll just go and cultivate my garden for real.

We've done fish discard..now let's look at fashion

Have a look at this blog:
http://thiftycouture.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-beginning.html?showComment=1302779014685#c1816337970548205950

We've had publicity about fish discard but what about the fashion industry? They are unbelievably wasteful. This sounds like a really good idea.

Our planet

What is happening to the world? What exactly is going on? Are we going to learn anything from all this?
If we get rid of tree belts, then tsunamis, lava from volcanoes and landslips can power through lands without having their force challenged at all.
If we build nuclear power stations then we run the risk of natural disasters causing a global catastrophe. Even in this country, their "safety" can be compromised by a terrorist attack or a plane crash.

Watch and learn, leaders.
If we work against nature then we will be the the losers.
We are small and insignificant and although there is little doubt the planet will survive, we may not.

All we can do is look after our little bit of the planet, plant our bulbs, grow our own food and walk instead of getting in our cars, but we aren't the ones who look after the bigger picture. Wouldn't it be nice if those in power would do what we're doing on a small scale here in Wirksworth in our Transition Town movement, on a bigger one?

Good job the sun came out today and I could sit on my bench and drink in the sunshine. Sometimes it's hard to be a Polyanna.

Transition Towns don't have to be woolly and homespun!

We had a meeting of the Transition Town core group last night which was a proper workshop about running a meeting.

I was lulled into the usual feeling of cosy warmth and welcome when the flipcharts came out! It was done really well and I learned a lot, especially about the fact that just because we are a sustainability group, that doesn't mean we can be wishy washy.

But running effective meetings, with goals, structure and engagement doesn't mean we lose sight of the essence of Transition Town which is that we involve the whole group, play to people's strengths and allow people to say no.

This was an interesting one because volunteers can get swamped and end up walking away.

Another interesting aspect was that you have a Mood Watcher..who keeps an eye on the feel of the meeting and if people are beginning to be glazed over or left out, then the MW pipes up! I thought this was a lovely idea and I was so grateful for the moment when the MW pointed out last night that we were losing the thread. Oh for one of those in some of the meetings I go to!

It's also about priorities. At various points in a meeting, you re-evaluate the time you have left and adjust your priorities so's you're not trying to do too much.

And then the one that is glorious to hear..you MUST finish on time.

I remember as a junior reporter going to council meetings where they would spend two minutes passing a £3m scheme and two hours discussing what toner to put in the printer. They needed a Mood Watcher!

The forests are still mine then!

That's really good news! But what's better news is that in our own little British way, we are just as rebellious as the Egyptians when we believe in something and anyone who thinks they can get their commercial little mitts on our forests have been brilliantly scuppered!

Tiny shoots of recovery

Not the economy, but us. It's been a tough winter with house renovations, work pressures and husband falling off ladder but yesterday, I spotted some snowdrops and the first shoots of daffodils.

This is why the environment is so important.

We need to know the world is going to renew itself. I need to know that the earth will re-emerge, just as green and beautiful as it ever was. I've been watching our little community of birds re-emerging looking for the food I put out. I was even pleased to see the magpie, although I haven't seen the one with the broken wing who amazed me with its ability to hop around using props to get from one place to another. Maybe it hasn't survived the winter.

Ok, this is waffling now.

I've been watching Richard Bilton's programme "Who gets the best jobs?" and then one called "Young, jobless and living at home" ( this is on I Player cos getting an aerial sorted in this dip we live in seems to be a mammoth task). So, the answer for our offspring is to work for nothing for at least a year, being supported by rich Daddy. Went wrong there then.
Work has to be worthwhile, you have to feel good about yourself and the job you are doing so what is the point if our youngsters aren't valued enough to pay them a living wage. Are we going backwards?