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Council offers cheap Food DigestersWiltshire Council have teamed up with Green Cone to offer subsidised food waste digesters to Wiltshire Residents, to help reduce the food waste sent to landfill. Do your bit and make sure more food waste will be composted and not have to go to land fill! Click here for more... A Wildlife Friendly Garden......but not for Slugs and Aphids!Most, if not all, gardeners love to see butterflies, birds and other creatures in their gardens. Not only are they beautiful but they are also great at eating the nasty insects and bugs that can decimate our lovingly tended flowers and vegetables. Here are a few ideas on how to encourage these helpful creatures. Ladybirds and Lacewings eat aphids amongst other pests - build a hanging home out of pieces of untreated wood and bamboo. Then hang in a warm sheltered spot. Garden birds – leave shrubs and bushes for cover and nests. Hang balls of fluff and wool (not synthetic) as a supply of nesting material. House martins need damp earth to make their nests under the eaves so if dry leave a bowl of water outside for them. There are many types of bird feeders available but remember to place them in the open so that the birds can see potential predators approaching but with bushes for cover nearby. Put a bell on the cat! Bats – another insect eater. Buy or make a bat box. Bees – are in decline so make a nest for them from 6in lengths of old bamboo canes fixed together and hung in a sheltered spot. Toads – are particularly fond of slugs. Make a hide for them by laying half an old broken flower pot on its side in a shady spot among some leafy compost or moss and near a source of water. Another idea is to make a habitat of bricks and logs in a quiet corner to give shelter to insects, toads, newts and also mice. Add a little boggy area using a piece of buried plastic as a ‘pond’ liner. Shrubs such as Buddleia and Lavender are famous for attracting butterflies. Growing broad headed native perennials throughout the year, means that there will always be a source of nectar for the bees and you’ll have a beautiful garden. Don’t be too quick to deadhead in the autumn as birds love to eat the seeds. Finally avoid herbicide as they can poison the animals you are trying to attract – instead hand weed and mulch to suppress their growth. For more information & ideas go to www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics or www.rspb.org.uk or www.mywildlifefriendlygarden.com. WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE?In spite of all the rain we have had this winter it seems that we are still taking our water supply too much for granted! The average consumption in the UK is 150 litres per person per day, so we are being encouraged by the water companies and the Environment Agency to avoid wasting it. Extracting and purifying water uses energy, and over abstraction damages wildlife habitats by example?. Choosing water efficient kitchen appliances will cut down on usage, but there are simpler ways which cost next to nothing and could reduce your water bill if you have a meter. Some tips from Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water:
Have you considered having a water meter fitted? The water company will do this for free, and many households find it reduces their water bill, as you are only charged for the water you use, rather than paying the current water rates based on average use. Flushing the toilet accounts for 30% of the water used by the average household. Devices can be fitted to older style wc cisterns, to provide a choice of flush, or a simple bag can be inserted which saves water on every flush (order a pack of three ‘hippos’ for £7.99 from: www.hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk or call 01989 766667). Further advice can be found at www.bwhwater.co.uk (0845 3710727) or www.waterwise.org.uk (0207 344 1882) Wiltshire World Changers!
Together we can make a difference - http://www.wiltshireworldchangers.org/ Downton in Transition –
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