What a difference a week makes!

Ilkley had a couple of snow days over the last week. Thursday 1st March saw blizzard conditions sweeping the country but thankfully by the afternoon things had eased.

The following Thursday, the snow returned for a few hours at least, my garden saw visitors such as a Thrush, it's speckled breast stark against the remains of the snow,  a Jay in the mist, a couple of Red Kites overhead and finally, a skittish Wren visiting my bird table.

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Even in Mid-October, there is still plenty of colour in my back garden in the Autumn sun.

And sunning itself on the back lawn, a somewhat flustered looking Finch.

And whilst the leaves are starting to fall now, the woods over at Middleton haven't really changed their colurs much, but when they do I'll be doing my best to get some photos.

I've just received notice that Bradford are introducing Garden Waste Recycling bins to further parts of Ilkley, not Green bins which would be logical but Brown bins. Of course, the green bins are general household waste bins and have been for some 20 or more years.

Unlike regular bins, you have to apply for these so if you have received a leaflet about the Brown bins, and you want one or at least have space for one, then now is the time to apply as it will take up to 6 weeks to have one...

We are delighted to be working with Burley Gardeners' Association and welcome their members to use our Stores Sheds.

Members are also welcome to attend our Monthly Meetings at the Ilkley Parish Church House Hall by the main lights in Ilkley town centre, admission £1 so long as you show your BGA Membership card.

If you are worried about water shortages or rising costs of Water Charges, have you a water butt in your garden (or a couple)?

Using a Water Butt will cut down on your household bill especially if you are on a meter and will help the environment out come the latest drought. Whilst the droughts are worse down south currently, we can all do our bit to conserve water.

If you spot a leak, report it to Yorkshire Water or use their freephone number (also on the web...

This DVD would be ideal for anyone interested in learning about trees. It is an unbiased view of how to recognise trees throughout the seasons, pointing out any relevant information needed.

A brief trailer is given below which gives a taste of the actual DVD/video.

It's a very professional movie overall and it's not a DVD that has to be watched all at once (information overload) but you can view it a chapter at a time, and it a very good way of identifying trees even if you are experienced in...

Bees are in trouble, and it is mostly because of us. We have destroyed much of their natural habitat, we have poisoned their food and in the case of honeybees, we have used and abused them for our own purposes while not giving enough attention to their needs and welfare.

Honeybees have been evolving for a very long time – the fossil record goes back at least 100 million years – and they became remarkably successful due to their adaptability to different climates, varied flora and their...

September has arrived, bringing with it foggy mornings, heavy rain and the threat of early frosts overnight, yet it also brings the promise of some strong sunshine with really good temperatures.

Thursday (7th) morning saw some fantastic early morning views with the sun casting a golden edge to some clouds with incredible scenery being highlighted while Friday (8th) the sky was cloudless most of the morning and the sun beat down to help dry up our gardens.
 

Bees do seem to be in decline worldwide which is bad news for us humans as with no bees, the flowers that we enjoy will not be pollinated, the fruit and vegetables that we depend on for our tables won't be there.

As gardeners, what can we do?