How often does the question arise "how old is that tree"?  Experienced foresters can often look at a tree and make a good estimate, based on trees they have felled in different areas where different growth rates can lead to trees of very different size of the same age. For the less experienced, ageing trees can be much more difficult, assuming we are not felling them to count rings!  Some trees are virtually impossible to age, very old yew, mainly because of their great age cannot be accurately dated, see http://www.ancient-yew.org/mi.php/dating-yews/99 for further details. Read more...

The bedstraws (see previous blog) belong to the Rubiaceae - a family that embraces a number of climbing / scrambling plants.  Another plant from this family is the wild madder (Rubia peregrina). This is a vigorous and evergreen perennial that may be found in hedgerows, and also at coastal locations as it is resistant to wind and salt spray. Its stems have marked ridges / corners (these can be seen in featured photo) consequently these stems are rectangular in cross-section.  They often bear numerous prickles; these prickles help them clamber up and over plants / branches in a hedgerow, not dis-similar to the bedstraws. Read more...

DEFRA has declared that the monk parakeet is a threat.  The home of the monk parakeet is South America.  It is being viewed as a threat because of the parakeet’s unusual nesting habits.  Unlike other parrots, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) use sticks to build huge nests on the outside of a tree’s canopy or pylons – these can reach the size of a small car!  In the United States, the nests have been responsible for power shortages, cuts in power transmission, fires and crop damage.  However, no damage in the U.K. has been reported to date though DEFRA has expressed concern that damage might be caused to ‘national infra-structure’ and native British wildlife. Read more...

The bedstraws are slender, sprawling herbs that have square stems (in cross-section) and they belong to the genus GALIUM.  This genus belongs to the family RUBIACEAE, which includes the Gardenias,  Coffea (for coffee) and Cinchona (bark yields quinine = Jesuits' bark). Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a woodland bedstraw, which tends to form 'a carpet' and is a perennial.  Galium aparine ( aka goosegrass, kisses, cleavers, sticky bobs, sticky willy, sweethearts and robin run the hedge) is more common and is a 'scrambler"; it is also an annual. Read more...