GARDEN for the PLANET

With any luck, 2021 could be the year we all wake up to the impending climate crisis and change our habits for the better. There’s so much we can do. Swap your normal compost for a peat-free variety (Dalefoot, Melcourt and Fertile Fibre are all good options); boost your health with natural probiotics from Microbz (microbz.co.uk); and adopt a more thoughtful approach that considers the needs of local wildlife as well as your own. In this respect, Holly Farrell and Gareth Richards’ new book Do Bees Need Weeds? is an excellent starting point, addressing all those tricky questions such as ‘are my garden lights harmful?’, ‘is it ever okay to have a bonfire?’ and ‘what use are slugs?’ (octopusbooks.co.uk, £14.99).