Country Living UK October 2019

…we are inspired by autumn colours – for our craft projects, garden features and even our decorating pages. But there’s been something else on our minds, too – the constant conversation around climate change. Thus, this issue explores some of the big talking points and what we can do about them: on page 107, Sally Coulthard road-tests an electric car to see if it really is a viable option in the countryside, while on page 92, Sarah Barratt talks to some eco-kids leading the charge to save our planet. And I also bring you news that we have taken another significant step forward in our ongoing mission to cut our carbon footprint here at Country Living. We have been printing our magazines on recyclable paper for several years. Now, from…

London, BDC 13-17 November Glasgow, SEC 21-24 November Harrogate, HCC 5-8 December *PRICES QUOTED WITH THIS SIGN INCLUDE SPECIAL DISCOUNTS THAT ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON PIECES PURCHASED AT THE FAIRS. PRICES WILL DIFFER ONLINE…

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”LM Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables DON’T MISS! WOOL WEEK More than 100 companies, including Harris Tweed, are supporting the Campaign for Wool’s annual Wool Week event, from 7-20 October. Product launches and craft workshops will bring the campaign to life around the country, encouraging us to buy this natural fibre that’s long-wearing, biodegradable and doesn’t contribute to micro-fibre pollution. To find out more, visit campaignforwool.org. Sense of the seasons… tawny owls DURING AUTUMN EVENINGS, THE TAWNY OWL (STRIX ALUCO) BEGINS ITS COURTING RITUAL – MALES GIVE A WAVERING ‘HOOHOO’, AND FEMALES RESPOND WITH A SHARP ‘KEE-WICK’. HEAD TO WOODLANDS, CHURCHYARDS AND AREAS WITH MATURE TREES FOR THE BEST CHANCE TO HEAR THEIR CALL. FIND OUT MORE AT RSPB.ORG.UK. 15,000 The number of wild fungus…

AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST Sally Coulthard Pumpkins are thirsty tenants, so I’ve spent the past few months watering endlessly and feeding them every two weeks with organic liquid fertiliser. They’ve grown at an alarming rate, curling and winding their way across the soil, spilling over the edges of their raised bed. I used to plant the pumpkins next to the other vegetables but, like courgettes, they can be a bit of a bully, so earlier this year, I created a circular willow bed just for them, woven from twigs my husband coppiced. It’s about three feet deep and five feet wide, tucked behind a hedge to keep the pumpkins away from the icy winds that often whistle through the valley. It also gets sunshine for most of the day, which they love. As…

FOUNDER OF HEN CORNER Sara Ward While I love keeping chickens and bees, and growing fruit and vegetables in my city garden, like other urban smallholders, I find there are some more advanced areas of living off the land that I yearn for, but which seem forever out of reach. Pig keeping is one of these. I’d love to have a pair of Tamworths nosing around in the garden but sadly lack of room means that it’s just not feasible (pigs need a secure enclosure and plenty of space to forage outside – at least ten square metres for a couple of weaners). However, a few years ago, I discovered that living in an urban area doesn’t have to preclude you from raising larger livestock. The turning point was when I found out…

MORAL FIBRE When it comes to food, the benefit of buying organic is well known, but we don’t always think of it when we’re shopping for clothes. Cotton, the perfect breathable fabric for sticky late-summer days, comes from a plant and, according to the Pesticide Action Network, is responsible for 16 per cent of global insecticides – more than any other crop. Luckily, thanks to companies such as People Tree (peopletree.co.uk), Thought (wearethought.co.uk) and Little Leaf Organic (littleleaforganic.com), organic cotton is now increasingly available, and even high-street brands such as M&S and H&M are cottoning on… GIVE TREES a chance Combine a good yomp through the leaves with some ‘citizen science’ this autumn by helping the Woodland Trust monitor our trees. By looking out for unusual pests or diseases and reporting any strange…