This Week's Eco Tip...

We use lots of milk for Cappucinos etc in the coffee shop and have found that we can reduce the bulky plastic milk containers by pouring an inch or so of boiling water into the empty container, put on the lid, swill water all around including into the hollow handle, pour out the water and quickly roll up the container from the base (like a toothpaste tube) Then put an old elastic band figure of eight style around it to hold it tight. If you really want to save a lot of space, cut off the top of a container then place all of your previously flattened ones inside it. we reckon to get 8 - 10 2 litre containers into one.

Hellebores

Hi Everyone, Its been a busy week, a recommendation for visiting the gardens in The Times this weekend, Our Green Tourism Award Assessment on Wednesday and Gateshead Countryside Team here today, they want to do some wildlife surveys here during the summer, I'll keep you updated on results. While the team were here we spotted a male smooth newt and a palmate newt in the pond, frogspawn in the waterlilies sales area and I was dividing some winter aconites tonight and uncovered a toad. The frogspawn is a month later than usual. The Snowdrops are still flowering, so are the Crocuses, Chionodoxia, Muscari, Hellebores Primula and Hepaticas. The daffodils are just starting with the tiny Tete a Tete varieties and Winter Follies with about 30 more varieties to flower between now and the bluebells.