toot toot...

I have never been comfortable with blowing my own trumpet. I can talk for England, but I actually despise talking about myself and what I do, have done or achieved. And the bigger the thing is, the worse it can be.

When I had to do my 'speech' on stage in front of the public and the panel at the Malvern Spring Show I tried desperately not to talk directly about myself, but about something I am passionate about.

Poor James Alexander-Sinclair practically had to surgically remove the microphone from my steely grip as I got on my soapbox and talked about sustainability and responsibility.

But, when it comes to running your own business, and the monster that is PR, you have to blow your trumpet, trombone and tuba until you are red in the face.

If you do something, you have to tell all and their dogs as soon as you can. Purely to inform. Never to brag. But it is blinkin hard.

But all of this aside, we have some very nice news.

We have won a Green Apple award for Environmental Best Practice from the Green Organisation. Chuffed? Doesn't even come close. Blinkin fabulous.

AND it was for the very controversial 'Electric Urban Orchard' project that was installed for the RHS London Plant and Design Show in February this year.

So there you go - a little toot on the PR trumpet. And now I have an excuse to get a posh frock and some tasty shoes as I have to collect the award from the House of Commons in November...

the true price of a posy...

I love to receive flowers. Not only do you have the thought that went into getting them, but the wonderful colour and scent they bring to the darkest corners of the house. They are fleeting, but I enjoy every minute of them.

But, what is the true cost of a bunch of flowers? In monetary value, anything from free up to the hundreds, but the environmental cost? The truth can be a little hard to stomach.

The UK cut flower industry is worth about £2billion – almost the same as our music industry, and yet we are responsible for growing only 10% of them on UK soils. The remaining 90% is imported from areas as far flung as Colombia and Kenya.

In an age where ‘food miles’ are on the tip of everyone’s tongues, surely it seems a bit contradictory to have lovely local cheese, milk and meat in your basket alongside a bouquet of Kenyan roses?

But there are some who argue for the case of buying a Kenyan (or other imported) posy.

It has been widely published that the carbon omissions of an imported bouquet are lower than those of a northern hemisphere grown rose, as less lighting and heating is required in the growth period. But what about the travel, pesticides, packing, even the omissions from decay – the complete life cycle of the flowers – does this still ring true?

And even though the carbon omissions are a very large part of the argument, there are also the issues with worker welfare, wider environmental impact (draining of water from lakes to feed the floriculture industries), and the use of pesticides long banned in the EU countries.

Fairtrade flowers do try and address some of these issues, and of course you are given the reassurance that your pennies are not going to feed some fat cat whilst the workers suffer, but there are still a very low percentage of the imports registered under the scheme.

So, if you are not going to buy an imported bunch, where can you get your hands on some of the 10% that we do actually grow here, and why should you?

The first stop for many will be at the supermarket. Despite how I tend to bang on about how I detest the whole supermarket experience, there are a few that are least trying to support our UK growers.

Waitrose has a great raft of UK suppliers that it works directly with to produce a range of seasonal blooms over the year, and they are so proud that you can read all about it on their website.

Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer also have a reasonable selection, and most are marked by a Union Jack or similar. Some even have the county that they were grown in marked on the wrapper.

Otherwise, there are some fantastic suppliers that you can purchase your scented and seasonal lovelies from – mostly directly from the farm itself. Check out Wiggly Wigglers, Country Roses and Scent from the Islands.

So why should we buy British blooms?

It stands to reason that the shorter the time between the picking and the displaying of the flower, the longer the vase life will be. Also, the large scale overseas growers tend to ditch scented varieties of flowers as they are not as productive, so lovely flowers, no smell. The UK growers also tend to be on a much smaller scale than their overseas counterparts, and so are hugely affected by market demand. If we want them, the supermarkets will get them. And, in times of hardship, we are keeping our own economy going. Never a bad thing.

Please don’t just sling a bunch in your basket next time you are shopping. Take a few seconds to look, and see if you can buy British.

a tale of a Brighton terrace...

We all have spots in our gardens, balconies, plots and pots that can be a real pain. What you want to grow won’t grow there, what you want to sod off stays around happily. Too dark, too light, too dry, too wet – you know the spots I mean.

And so, we were full of intrigue that we went to look at the rear terraced area to Jamie’s Italian in Brighton a week or so ago.

As a Brightonian, it is always fascinating to see how the buildings I know and love so well sit beside, amongst and within each other from a different viewpoint to that you see from the street.

This building was no exception. The new building that Jamie’s Italian occupies in Brighton is nestled between some wonderful old buildings. The front view is cramped, yet the rear opens out into a huge internal light well between the new and the existing spaces.

It is a real shame, however, that the terraced area is tucked right in alongside the new and the existing, thus offering a nice enclosed albeit shady spot for alfresco dining. An overhead covering of trellis and reclaimed oak timbers provides even greater shade and makes for a tricky little area.

The whole ethos of the restaurant is on fresh and tasty, local and authentic food, but given the orientation of the terrace (no sun till about 3 and none in winter) the obvious herbs wouldn’t have fared too well.

There was also the problem of maintenance and ongoing care – nothing too needy could be used lest it put a real burden on the staff.

So – easy to care for, can cope with semi shade or a bit of sun (in areas), and will provide year long interest with minimal ongoing costs. Solution?

We were not going to go the same route as a few other restaurants around the area and put in PLASTIC plants (shame on you – you know who you are), so what did we come up with?

Well – our final planting list comprised…
An assortment of Bergenias – evergreen, will grow like the clappers and can cope with a bit of sun or shade.
An assortment of ferns – British of course – for the really stubbornly shady bits.
An assortment of honeysuckles – both evergreen and deciduous, to provide shade when required in summer, but to open up the light in winter, nice smells and lovely flowers.
And for the structure – no plastic, but a few clipped box spheres.
Nice.

When we had finished, the terrace was awash with lushness, that hopefully (with a little care) will flourish into a right proper jungle over the next year.

I will keep you posted on the progress – just another excuse to nip out for a sneaky meal…

the eco home...

There are many ways to a green home. Some are a great deal easier than others, some are quick, some take patience, but all combine to create a space that is as green as the grass outside.

But, when faced with a redecoration project, where do you start to ensure that you are being as green as possible?

This little series of introductory postings will look at different elements of the ‘eco’ home, how and why should and where you can get things from.

This first post will look at…….wallpaper.

Now very much in vogue, the statement wall and the mix of patterns is back. The ‘white box effect’ is long gone, and over the past few years, we have been reacquainting ourselves with the wallpaper section of our local DIY stores.

But regular wallpapers are not particularly inspiring on the eco front – most use virgin wood fibres, chemical inks and plastic wrappers to tempt us. Textured blown vinyls are another beast of the wallpaper world, and should never be considered for the green home. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) are rife with the use of solvents as well. Plus, there are the adhesives…

But if you are looking for good eco alternative to the regular wallpaper on offer, fortunately there are many to choose from, and they are not heard to find. Some are probably sitting right next door to the usual suspects above.

Things to spot include recycled paper content, FSC approved sources, water based and vegetable based inks and compostable packaging.

And wallpaper also comes in guises outside of the large DIY sheds – many young craftspeople are now coming to the fore with beautiful hand printed papers, also bearing FSC marks and using vegetable inks.

Of course, patterns, taste and price will pay a great influence on your final choices, but expect to pay anything from £7.99 to £45 a roll from the DIY stores and specialist decoration centres up to £100 or more a length for a hand printed covering.

Remember to use a water-based adhesive, and you are well on your way to creating a green papered wall…

Have a look at these for some ideas…
Focus DIY - FSC and recycled content - reasonable and good, solid colour range
B&Q – FSC paper, water based inks and biodegradable packaging - nice patterns with an expanding range at a good price.
EcoCentric – machine and hand printed - great pattern range and ticks the eco boxes.
Biome Lifestyle – wonderful patterns using water based inks, so no VOC's.
Graham and Brown - plains and patterns - all responsible with water based inks, compostable packaging and FSC content.

the feet of eco...

I have blogged before about the perils of consumerism and whether it is better to consume and support fair trade, organic and responsible suppliers or to stick your hands in your pockets and save the valuable pennies.

But, eventually, we all have to buy things - some useful, some practical, some necessary, and some just because.

And, all of us have our weaknesses when it comes to consuming - bags, seeds, plants, books, shoes...

I have a distinct weakness for seeds, plants and books, but shoes and bags sort of missed me as a collection. I wear the same boots every day (except when it is REALLY hot, when I revert to nothing at all), and I love them to bits. They are comfy, worn in, and are made so they can be resoled for ever more. They are not footwear to me - they are part of me. I feel as odd without my clompy boots and knee high socks on as I probably look with them on.

But even I have my girly moments, and there is one company who I adore for their beautiful, elegant footwear. They are responsibly made from recycled materials and if I had enough money I would buy a pair in every colour.

So imagine how excited I was when I was waffling through Brighton town centre the other and found a new store dedicated to the glistening heels...

I swiftly found my little sister and educated her in the ways of Terra Plana and converted her to the precious as well.

It is also a joint store with the responsible clothing label People Tree (who also made my favourite dress in the world, but more of that in another post), so now there is another location in Brighton where you can find a whole green outfit in one place.

Fantastic. Just need an event to warrant a posh frock and heels now...

food for free...

Not many self respecting eco foodies are without the bible of hedgerow tasties, Food for Free by Richard Mabey.

As I have an obsession with books, I have two copies (different editions and different covers) which move their way around the house, into the car, out and about and back again.


If you have not come across this book before, please seek it out - it really is a classic - full not only of the descriptions and pictures to correctly identify your dinner, but the history of uses and a smattering of other wonderful, mastermind type gems of information.

But, despite the title of this post, I am not going to talk about the book of the same name.

I am going to talk about other food for free.

It is quite right to say that the current recession has left a great deal of people at odds with the super technological, remote and automated world. People are now wary of invisible investments and appear to be reawakening the sense of self responsibility.

Because of this there has been a boom in the crafts trades - knitting, making, mending, thrift. Eco cleaning - scrubbing your taps with a lemon and some bicarb instead of a luminous pink spray bottle with a name fitting a cartoon punch up sketch. Staying in is the new going out, and good clean (and cheap) fun is being made - flying kites, walking, foraging.

And of course, growing your own.

From free seeds given out with magazines, to television programmes and the lifetime wait for an allotment - the grow your own bug has bitten and most of us have been nibbled in one way or another.

Maybe I have never noticed before, but as I was walking the dog the other day I spotted a lone tomato plant in someones porch. One. But the care and attention given to this sole specimen was incredible. It was smothered with tasty looking fruits.

And as I wandered along the road, other edibles sprang up - runner beans up a side wall, lettuces in the front garden, strawberries in hanging baskets, artichokes to die for - all grown on a small patch.

We are all growing our own, and we love it.

But what happens when we grow too much? Well, this is where the title of the post kicks in.

Go into the country and you readily see little roadside stands with produce on and an honesty box. Do you ever see this is in the city? Probably not. So imagine my delight when, on walking the dog once more, we came across a box at the front of a house labelled:

'lettuces. grown organically. free - please help yourself'

The box was full of freshly pulled, wet and tasty little gems. A few slug holes, but hey - free and succulent.

When things are offered for free you do not have to ask me twice, so we picked up two of the little gems to have with some mackerel for tea. Perfect.

This got me thinking - if we are all growing a bit too much, how fantastically we could minimise our food miles by going back to our old swapping, bartering, or, as displayed by a resident in Wish Road, Hove, giving away for free?

Community spirit would be reintroduced - people would talk to one another once more and share not only stuff but conversations. Imagine that.

To waste any food is criminal (apparently we throw away a third of all the food we buy?) but to waste food that you have grown yourself seems to be the worst type of food crime.

So - give it away - have a chat, and just think - you could gain a new chum as well as a free feed.

and the carnival swayed in the sun...

It is not until you are actively involved in an outdoor event that you really take notice of what our weather system has up it's varied sleeves.

We all know the weather has been described as 'changeable' over the past week or so, and therefore it was with distinct trepidation that I looked out of the window on a sunday morning a little while ago (at 5.45am) to see if the sun was out.

It wasn't, and my heart sank.


Why? This particular sunday was the Brighton Carnival.


A day of whistle blowing, massive costumes, rum and fresh coconuts was planned to be a day basking in the seaside sunshine, and instead it looked as though it was going to be washed into the gutter with the remnants of the saturday night revellers.




But, as I believe that everything comes right in the end, I trundled up to the workshop where I had been making green bunting until 1am the same morning to finish off the 33m I had set to achieve. I also made a green union jack to add to our stand (and on that front, look here for the most ridiculous and infuriating story I have heard in a while).

After an hour of bunting making in the grey halflight cast inside by the drizzle, I looked up to see a single shaft of light piercing through the window. All was to be well...



The day ended up being glorious, if not a little breezy (which we Brightonians are very used to - the sea gale we call a 'small tidal breeze').

We had booked a stand on the Madeira Drive strip in the eco festival section - The Green Wave Festival, and we had wonderful neighbours, including Herbal Haven, The Eco Garage and Nicola Thompson Architects.

Our stand was showcasing our little eco teardrop trailer, The Green Bean on it's official launch in the sun, and was a picture of green and eco loveliness on the beach, bedecked with my bunting.

We had a massive amount of interest in the Green Bean and were rushed off our feet from around 12 midday until we closed up shop at about 8pm, collapsing back at home too tired to eat.


The day was wonderful - busy, sunny, with fantastic live music, brilliant costumes and the eclectic mix of characters that fill our brilliant city. If you did not come this year, save the date for next year - you will have a ball...





PS - the green bean now has it's very own website - AND blog - campfire stories! where we will be posting our adventures, tours, trips and tips, recipes and hidden UK gems...come with us as we reclaim the Great British Holiday, the eco way!

eco design - all hair shirts and sandals...?

we live in a world of labels, perceptions and stereotypes. comedy sketches are written on them, arguments are fought on them and we are all subject to them in one way or another, in some point in our lives. some you can let wash over your heads whilst others strike a nerve.

one label that follows me around is 'eco designer', and please do not get me wrong - this is a label I happily apply to myself in part of the reply to the eternal question 'so, what do you do?'

what winds me up slightly are the preconceptions of some people to the phrase 'eco design'.

'oh - hippy stuff - all hair shirts, sandals and dirt eh?'

well quite frankly, no.

therefore it is nice when something pops along to reinforce the real meaning of a phrase and I was over the moon when I was given the new book 'Experimental Eco Design' (architecture / fashion / product) by Brower, Mallory and Ohiman.

for someone unsure as to what eco design is all about, this book is a revelation as it shows a section of the true scope of the subject.

so, what is eco design? well, from prefabricated, easily transported emergency housing to backpacks made from flour bags, stools made from cardboard pulp and bioluminescent lighting processes, the book is full of the wonderful ideas that designers have created to tackle one of the myriad of problems that eco design seeks to ease.

fantastic case studies are split with short essays, making the title both educational and inspirational. for any budding eco design student (and lets face it, all our design students should be concerned in their own ways) the book is essential reading, but this does not exclude it from the office shelf of a seasoned professional.

great for a flick through or a proper sit down and study, and at only £15, a bargain.

oooh - p, p, pack up a picnic...

Sometimes I see things and turn in wonder to whoever I am with and proclaim - 'that is just genius.'

It does not happen very often, but I let rip a 'genius' whilst watching a very rare moment of TV this week.

'What to eat now' is another seasonal television programme that aims to educate us in the sustainable and low carbon seasonal plate, and is presented by the sparkly, childlike and very lively Valentine Warner.

The programme, which was based on creating the perfect picnic was rambling along nicely when the genius moment struck me and made me choke on my pasta.

Valentine hollowed out a split tin loaf of bread (organic I hope), and used it as a fully edible and protective lunchbox for a mini picnic - a jar of homemade mayonnaise, carrot sticks and other bits were piled in the cavity before the lid was stuck back on top and the whole thing was tied back together to resemble the unadulterated loaf once more.

Old Val used an elastic band, I would have used string, but there you go - my string obsession strikes again.

Fully edible, minimal waste and great to look at as well as eat. Genius.

So - go and have a bread picnic, and if it rains, have an bread based carpet picnic inside. Happy picnicking...

mud, thunder and a smattering of flowers...

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was almost a wash out for me. Not because it wasn't a great show, but because our lovely weather decided to dump a considerable amount of rain on my head.

but, this is what boots and an umbrella were designed for, so we trooped off to discover the treats on the sprawling site of the show last week.

As last year, I was distinctly impressed by some of the conceptual gardens, which were pulling the crowds and challenging the idea of a 'show' garden.

A particular favourite was the sunken garden 'hard to see' which had a wonderful sunken pit edged with mirrors and filled with a plethora of lush planting. The pit surround was black rubber shreds which, even though they seem to be a defining feature of a HCPFS conceptual garden, worked extremely well.

A lot of the other gardens were nice in a lot of ways, but my other votes have to go to the wonderful Tony Smith with his Quilted Velvet garden and Sarah Eberle who created what I felt to be the most exciting element of the show - the sustainable 'hub'.

The floral marquees were stuffed to the brim once more, but it was the edible pavilion that really got me excited. Fantastic exhibits and I am in love with the beautiful lablab bean. Simply stunning.

The floral marquee was complimented by the floristry marquee, which we toured during one of the very many thunderous downpours. As expected, one of the busiest stalls was that of Jane Packer, who had chosen the British 'tea party' as her theme. Densely packed roses looked the part as cupcakes on oversized cake stands, but I was both shocked and amazed at how much they were charging for a vintage teacup containing a rose and a bit of florists sand. I'm in the wrong business.

Met up with some more chums who were actually working and not on a jolly, including Toby of HME, BioTecture, Ian Gill and the ever lovely James Alexander-Sinclair.

All in all a good day, but would have been soooo much better in the sun...