Gardens

Concrete is an absolutely essential material for the building industry and it's unlikely a future Shard or the Burj al Arab will ever sit on ground screws. But the manufacturing of cement to make concrete accounts for five cent of global CO2 emissions and it ranks third in the production of manmade CO2 emissions worldwide after transport and energy generation; and as such there is a need to use alternatives to concrete foundations for smaller building projects.

When it comes to looking after plants, everyone knows they need sunlight and water. However, some people may not understand the vast benefits rainwater brings to plants. Although (in normal times) it's easy to water the garden using tap water, water from a tap is treated with chemicals that may stunt the growth of certain plants. Rainwater, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be treated before use, it can be used for in as well as outdoor plants, and it's free!  Here's short guide to rainwater and why it's excellent for your garden. So get rain dancing folks...

Gardens are long-term projects and the key to their success is to maintain small jobs often and be patient with results. Instead of feeling overwhelmed at the upkeep, enjoy being outside with tasks that take anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes. And if you decide to grow a vegetable garden or plant fuchsias, don’t do everything in one day. Taking your time means the process can be more enjoyable, says Calum Maddock, garden expert at Home How (.co.uk). 

1. Prune hedges

You'd probably have a fit if you saw a family member put a tin can, newspaper or plastic drinks bottle into the 'normal' (ie destined for landfill) kitchen bin. But do you explode in green-faced exasperation if you see someone put some tangerine peel, teabags or eggshells into that same bin?

If yes, enjoy a metaphorical pat on the back.. you can pass go and move on to another article.

But if the answer is 'er, no..why would I?' well, if we can be so bold, you need to read on...

Harry Villers of Villiers Brothers furniture company built an environmentally friendly home office/shed in his Essex garden. It uses recyclable materials such as steel, wood and glass. It has a salvaged oak floor from eBay. Villiers has launched Vintage Archive.