This is a subject that has troubled me for some years and despite councils being urged to let nature take its course, their mowing fraternity continue to wantonly attack swathes of wildness on our verges like a bunch of heartless vandals.
Even a prettily cultivated garden border (belonging to one of my daughters and which I tend) never escapes the charge of the weed-killing brigade who kill the first planting of Sweet peas that I’ve grown and leave other plants shakily holding on for dear life. How do we get such people to see sense?
I read that Alan Titchmarsh who is referred to as being passionate about protecting our wayside flowers; is the nation’s favourite gardener. Really? Isn’t he quite ready to assault what he classes as “weeds” in gardens?
Many such plants are delightful and if, in our wisdom we left them to form a pretty carpet of ground cover around our vegetables, you’d be surprised how much they’d protect the soil surface from drying out in hot weather.
In passing, I think Mature Times is very good indeed, have valued it for years but find the price for home delivery just a bit high, especially when I subscribe to “Yorkshire Riding’s” magazine, a beautifully presented one containing first class photographs etc and pay considerably less; therefore.
I’m afraid I continue to pick up the odd copies offered free for myself and for a local church where many volunteers do the most amazing work, also for a couple of pensioners.
Miss M Taylor, Hull
