Country diary: richness can be found among the rot

Allendale, Northumberland: Fungi and leaf mould are all part of the recycling that makes my garden thrive

Autumn is a rich, woodsy potpourri of scents as I rake leaves from the garden paths. Seeing them as a harvest rather than a nuisance, I lay the leaves over the shady border to rot down and improve the soil. Bulbs will push up through the leaf mould in spring. One path that I clear by hand has an eruption of hundreds of plump wood puffballs. There’s a strong fungal smell as I pull them up so their fruiting bodies can’t mature. It’s best to avoid breathing in the millions of dust-like spores that they produce, something that could be easily triggered from their ripe globes when trodden on.

In the flower border, clusters of shaggy ink-caps burgeon up through the soil, forcing aside clods of mud. Their caps are smooth and creamy, supported by chunky stems, their sides flaking with curled overlapping layers, inspiring the alternative name of lawyer’s wig. Some have turned rusty orange on top and black and slimy underneath as they collapse back into the earth. The fungi and the leaf mould are all part of the recycling that makes my garden thrive.

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Country diary: richness can be found among the rot

Allendale, Northumberland: Fungi and leaf mould are all part of the recycling that makes my garden thrive

Autumn is a rich, woodsy potpourri of scents as I rake leaves from the garden paths. Seeing them as a harvest rather than a nuisance, I lay the leaves over the shady border to rot down and improve the soil. Bulbs will push up through the leaf mould in spring. One path that I clear by hand has an eruption of hundreds of plump wood puffballs. There’s a strong fungal smell as I pull them up so their fruiting bodies can’t mature. It’s best to avoid breathing in the millions of dust-like spores that they produce, something that could be easily triggered from their ripe globes when trodden on.

In the flower border, clusters of shaggy ink-caps burgeon up through the soil, forcing aside clods of mud. Their caps are smooth and creamy, supported by chunky stems, their sides flaking with curled overlapping layers, inspiring the alternative name of lawyer’s wig. Some have turned rusty orange on top and black and slimy underneath as they collapse back into the earth. The fungi and the leaf mould are all part of the recycling that makes my garden thrive.

Continue reading...

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Evictions cost private renters in England £70m a year

Generation Rent says majority believe landlords should foot bill for making tenants move

Private renters in England are losing out on about £70m a year when landlords kick them out as missed time at work, cleaning bills and moving costs stack up to £1,400 each on average, housing campaigners say.

An estimated 146,000 households have been asked by landlords to leave their homes in the past three years, with rent arrears and an alleged lack of care for the property the most frequently cited reasons.

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Housing market that makes losers of us all | Letters

The impact of 12% stamp duty means the London market has stagnated, argues Hazel Dakers, while Rev Paul Nicolson calls for fairer regulations and land tax

Larry Elliott writes that it would be a mistake to reduce stamp duty in order to stimulate the housing market (Business view, 8 October).

For many years, Mr Elliott and other journalists have chosen to ignore the increase to 12% stamp duty applied by George Osborne to homes costing more than £1.5m. In a not particularly central or glamorous London suburb, houses may be bought for £1.5m to £2.5m which in many parts of the country would cost £600,000 to £800,000.

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While I live with three minute showers in this drought, I know people in the cities are wasting precious water | Stephanie Gardiner

Growing up being constantly reminded that water is finite and rain is unreliable is in the back of my mind wherever I go

An urban legend went around town during the peak of a drought when I was a child.

The story was someone had pulled up their floor during a home renovation and discovered an old newspaper clipping predicting the drought and the date it would finally break. Depending on who was telling the story, it was someone’s neighbour, their cousin or their grandmother who had found the century-old article.

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While I live with three minute showers in this drought, I know people in the cities are wasting precious water | Stephanie Gardiner

Growing up being constantly reminded that water is finite and rain is unreliable is in the back of my mind wherever I go

An urban legend went around town during the peak of a drought when I was a child.

The story was someone had pulled up their floor during a home renovation and discovered an old newspaper clipping predicting the drought and the date it would finally break. Depending on who was telling the story, it was someone’s neighbour, their cousin or their grandmother who had found the century-old article.

Continue reading...

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A guide to choosing the right property survey Nottingham Estate Agents

Should you choose a homebuyer’s or a full structural survey? Here Fine & Country explain the importance of home surveys and what’s available You’ve found the home of your dreams but before you get swept away, it’s important to ensure the property is not going to crumble around you. People are often seduced by the way a […]

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