Go green: eco-responsible gifts for Mother’s Day to spoil number one! Bedford News

Angela Terry, green activist and consumer expert, separates climate change fact from fiction and explains here how you can take simple, practical steps to help save the planet. Follow @ouronehome and visit https://onehome.org.uk/ for more advice.

Mother Earth will thank you! Here are some ideas:

Instead of the traditional bouquet of flowers, buy her seeds to grow hers.

Not on the High Street has a Grow Your Own Bouquet kit (£16) or a personalized You are my Sunshine packet of sunflower seeds, which cost just under a fiver.

If your mum has a garden, you can buy her organic flower or fruit and vegetable seeds from the social enterprise Seed Co-operative’

Alternatively, you can mail her an already grown houseplant.

Bloom and Wild offer a range of letterbox-friendly plants, including low-maintenance succulents.Bouquets

It’s a good idea to try to avoid cut flowers, as most come from abroad.

If you really want to send a bouquet, try choosing UK flowers.

Waitrose Flowers have a UK grown range or see the ‘Great British Florist’ website.

Novelty gifts are an environmental no-no. They make you laugh quickly and end quickly in the dump.

It’s a much better idea to give your mom something she actually wants or needs.

Too many of our homes are drowning in stuff, which is why decluttering has become such a trend.

When in doubt, opt for something edible.

Eco-friendly food and drink gifts include: Fairtrade chocolates, a bottle of organic wine or a selection of snacks, such as nuts and crisps.

You could really show her you care by baking her a cake or some cookies yourself.

Alternatively, you can offer her afternoon tea.

To make it ultra green, be adventurous and go green.

You can search the Happy Cow site to find the best places near you.

You could even make your own afternoon tea for her at home, using BBC Afternoon Tea Recipes.

Offer her beauty products based on natural ingredients from the British brands Evolve, Neal’s Yard or UpCircle.

If you like crafting, make her scented bath bombs with her favorite flower using essential oils, like rose or lavender. YouTube offers many tutorials.

You don’t need to flash the cash to show you care. What moms appreciate the most is spending time with their children.

You can organize a trip to the cinema or a nice walk in the countryside or take it to a place that holds special memories.

Having a vegetable garden was once considered a hobby in retirement. It’s now an A-list essential – and also a fantastic way to help the environment (as long as you avoid harsh chemical fertilizers and pesticides).

American media mogul Oprah Winfrey grows fruits and vegetables on her property on the Hawaiian island of Maui, where she lives part-time.

Reality TV queen Kim Kardashian is growing her own on the grounds of her California mansion – while model Cindy Crawford and rock star Pink are also local advocates.

Try not to buy nylon underwear because man-made fibers made from petrochemicals are basically plastics.

They release microplastics in a washing machine and will add to the landfill.

Instead, opt for bamboo or organic cotton underwear. The Terre Wardrobe has affordable options.

Peat has been commonly added to garden compost for years

Many gardeners swear by it.

But a government consultation has just been completed on the possible ban on the sale of peat to gardeners in England and Wales from 2024.

We’re awaiting the outcome, but here’s why the use of peat is so controversial:

An accumulation of decaying vegetation, it is a special type of waterlogged turf found only in what we call bogs.

Taking thousands of years to form, peatlands are special types of wetlands.

In terms of landscapes, they are varied. In temperate countries, such as the UK, they take the form of bogs and treeless heathlands. In warmer climates, such as Southeast Asia, these are usually swamp forests.

Environmentally, peatlands are so important because they store huge amounts of carbon.

In fact, they are the most efficient carbon sink on the planet.

Worldwide, peat soils contain more than 600 gigatonnes of carbon, representing up to 44% of all soil carbon.

That’s more than the carbon stored in all other types of vegetation, including the world’s forests.

When we dig them or damage peatlands, we release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

For example, in 2015, a combination of dry weather and decades of forest clearing and draining of peatlands caused Indonesia to experience extensive forest fires in peatlands.

They emitted nearly 16 million tons of CO2 per day, more than the entire United States.

This is why the protection of peatlands is essential in the fight against the climate. We need it to reach net zero.

Bogs also provide natural defenses against flooding.

Researchers from the University of Manchester have shown that by restoring peatlands on the Kinder Plateau in the Peak District National Park, they could reduce the risk of flooding downstream.

As temperatures rise, extreme weather events and intense precipitation events are becoming more frequent.

Peatlands provide a crucial means of stemming this rising water.

You don’t have to use peat-based compost in your garden.

There are many effective alternatives.

Wickes and B&Q both offer versatile, peat-free base composts.

Also pay attention to quality peat-free compost from the British brand Bathgate.

Coco and Coir, based in Scunthorpe, makes sustainable compost from coconut shells, which were once discarded as waste. You can also create your own.

Using your microwave saves more energy than using your oven. True!

When cooking and heating food, microwaves are more efficient because they cook differently.

Cooking a jacket potato will be faster and save you money and carbon.

For previous articles, visit: