Who doesn’t love a hedgehog? They’re almost part of what it means to be British aren’t they? Ever since our childhood we had this image of Beatrix Potter’s Mrs Tiggy-Winkle helping out her local community. The real hedgehog is just as helpful in our gardens, hoovering up garden pests like slugs and snails. Their scarceness and nocturnal nature makes it an absolute treat to find one. Even more rewarding if it’s out snuffling about, rather than curled up in a defensive tight ball. Regrettably the odds are stacked against the hedgehog, coping with predators and being squished on our roads... read more
If you go down to the woods today….. First find your gnarly old tree stump, the more character it has the better. Windblown trees are ideal as there is likely to be some nice rooty buttresses that look great. Try and find a tree that’s been dead for a while and lost its sapwood, (the bark and the soft stuff beneath it) so it looks hard, gnarled and bony without too much rot. Oak is great for this, and it’s durable so it’ll last. When you cut your stump from the rest of the tree, keep as much buttress as... read more
