RHS hints at environmental focus for 2020 Chelsea Flower Show
Judging gardens at the Chelsea Flower might be very different as of next year, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.
RHS judges meet today to discuss next year's event — and they're expected to agree on sustainability as one of the key criteria in deciding who gets the medals.
'We want to show visitors who come to Chelsea that their gardens can be places that are good for the environment with long-lasting materials,' said the RHS's Catherine Potsides. She added that she 'couldn't promise' that environmental concerns will be on the list, 'but I can say that the conversation is taking place.'
Fly tipping costs farmers thousands — and the problem is getting worse
Over a million fly tipping incidents were recorded across the UK, according to new figures from DEFRA — and it costs businesses an average of £1,000 to clear up what's left behind.
The true number of incidents may actually be much higher, since according to Hannah Hubbard, of Farmers and Mercantile Insurance Brokers, most farmers simply deal with it themselves rather than reporting it to the authorities.
'If a farmer’s land becomes a flytipping ‘hotspot’, costs can quickly escalate and the crime can soon turn from being a nuisance to crippling.'
How many tree holes did this owl find before she found one that fitted so perfectly?
Malaysia's last Sumatran rhino has died
The world's rarest rhinoceros has now died out in Malaysia; less than 100 are believed to still survive in other countries.
On This Day... in 1942
...Casablanca was released. Its success was a total surprise, as the great American film critic Roger Ebert wrote: 'No one making Casablanca thought they were making a great movie... It was made on a tight budget and released with small expectations. Everyone involved in the film had been, and would be, in dozens of other films made under similar circumstances, and the greatness of Casablanca was largely the result of happy chance.'
But the mix of characters, actors and dialogue proved irresistible, especially on repeated viewings ('the more you see it the more the whole film gains resonance' adds Ebert). It's gone down as one of the greatest films ever made.
https://youtu.be/7vThuwa5RZU?t=114
'Urgent appeal' to save the Attenborough Nature Reserve
The Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottingham has been described by the man it's named after as 'a symbol of hope in a challenging world. It is a natural oasis at the edge of a big city, full of remarkable and beautiful birds and other wildlife.' Yet rather surprisingly it's owned by an aggregates company called CEMEX UK. A chance has come up to buy the reserve, however, if the necessary £1m can be found.
Read more and chip in (Notts Wildlife)
And finally... if you're enjoying the new series of The Crown...
...remember that you can't always trust what you see on TV.
Credit: Richard Cannon/Country Life PIcture Library
The Devil’s Horsemen: The stallion who's starred in Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman and The Crown
Octavia Pollock visits Camilla Naprous of The Devil’s Horsemen to find out more about the horses they train for film.
The converted 18th century mill that comes complete with its original water wheel
Among Crown Spindle Mill's distinctive characteristics is its original water wheel, 120-ft stone mill chimney and a walled garden.
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If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
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Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
