Country diary: wildlife-sustaining bramble hedges need our protection

Claxton, Norfolk: A conservation group is calling for legal restrictions covering many hedgerow species to be extended to bramble, ivy and honeysuckle

The full-flowing vigour of our bramble hedge may be on the ebb, but there’s still an enormous abundance of life at play in this essential garden plant. The fruits continue to run a gamut from sour red baubles right through to yeast-softened bags of sweetness, whose overripe drupes almost collapse on contact, disintegrating to grainy purple-stained juices at the merest touch.

The whole sun-dusted hedge is thickly entwined with a million spider threads, and for good reason. Bramble is probably the most important source of pollen, nectar and then ripe-fruit sugars for more species of insect than any other common British plant. I doubt there was a single invertebrate in our summer patch that didn’t have cells partly formed from bramble carbohydrates and proteins, and while I value our garden brambles for many reasons, I love them most for this indiscriminate summer-long generosity.

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Country diary: wildlife-sustaining bramble hedges need our protection

Claxton, Norfolk: A conservation group is calling for legal restrictions covering many hedgerow species to be extended to bramble, ivy and honeysuckle

The full-flowing vigour of our bramble hedge may be on the ebb, but there’s still an enormous abundance of life at play in this essential garden plant. The fruits continue to run a gamut from sour red baubles right through to yeast-softened bags of sweetness, whose overripe drupes almost collapse on contact, disintegrating to grainy purple-stained juices at the merest touch.

The whole sun-dusted hedge is thickly entwined with a million spider threads, and for good reason. Bramble is probably the most important source of pollen, nectar and then ripe-fruit sugars for more species of insect than any other common British plant. I doubt there was a single invertebrate in our summer patch that didn’t have cells partly formed from bramble carbohydrates and proteins, and while I value our garden brambles for many reasons, I love them most for this indiscriminate summer-long generosity.

Continue reading...

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As a tenant, when am I liable for stamp duty?

I began renting in January 2017 and will be asked in November if I wish to remain in the property

Q I understand that a liability for stamp duty land tax (SDLT) arises for residential tenants when their cumulative rent exceeds £125,000. I am struggling to identify what level of liability I may face if I renew my rental agreement later this year.

I started renting on 31 January 2017 at a rate of £525 a week. The initial term was for two years. This was renewed for a further two years at the same rate, in November 2018. I will be asked in November this year whether I wish to remain in the property. If I do remain, assuming it’s on the same terms I will reach the £125,000 threshold by September 2021.

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The stamp duty reduction claim HMRC is cracking down on Nottingham Estate Agents

The temptation to try and claim for reduced stamp duty liability is great. Note: Stamp duty has been cut to zero for residential property purchases in England and Northern Ireland up to £500,000 from 8 July 2020 until 31 March 2021, read more here. Residential Stamp Duty Land Tax runs on a sliding scale up […]

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Seed saving can be exciting and rewarding

Right now is the perfect time to embark on an experimental journey

To the uninitiated, gardening can seem like it’s full of complex, rigid rules that must be strictly adhered to in order to avoid utter failure. But in horticulture there is really no such thing as mistakes, only “experiments”. And the best news? Right now is the perfect time to try out one of the most exciting (and rewarding) for yourself: seed saving.

Saving seeds from your own garden to sow next year has a long list of benefits. Most obviously, it can save you money – particularly for annual plants which normally die at the end of each growing season, so would otherwise require repeat purchases every year. Secondly, natural cross pollination and spontaneous mutations can mean you get surprising new varieties. And thirdly, given how short the commercial lifespan is for many varieties before they fall from horticultural favour, it can sometimes be the only way you can guarantee access to your favourite niche cultivars. However, in my experience, a significant part of conventional wisdom for seed saving is either unnecessary or simply not borne out by real-world testing.

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Seed saving can be exciting and rewarding

Right now is the perfect time to embark on an experimental journey

To the uninitiated, gardening can seem like it’s full of complex, rigid rules that must be strictly adhered to in order to avoid utter failure. But in horticulture there is really no such thing as mistakes, only “experiments”. And the best news? Right now is the perfect time to try out one of the most exciting (and rewarding) for yourself: seed saving.

Saving seeds from your own garden to sow next year has a long list of benefits. Most obviously, it can save you money – particularly for annual plants which normally die at the end of each growing season, so would otherwise require repeat purchases every year. Secondly, natural cross pollination and spontaneous mutations can mean you get surprising new varieties. And thirdly, given how short the commercial lifespan is for many varieties before they fall from horticultural favour, it can sometimes be the only way you can guarantee access to your favourite niche cultivars. However, in my experience, a significant part of conventional wisdom for seed saving is either unnecessary or simply not borne out by real-world testing.

Continue reading...

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Rental contracts: Top tips before you sign on the dotted line Nottingham Estate Agents

You’ve found somewhere to rent. You’re already thinking about the curtains. But before you get carried away, there’s the small matter of your tenancy agreement. As estate agent Savills says: “No matter how keen you are to find a rental property, you should never rush into a tenancy without knowing your rights and responsibilities, as […]

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