by Miki Marks Just after the rains turned the lawns back to a nice lush green,  the mole hills appeared.  At first two, then a couple of days later four ...

by Miki Marks Walking home recently as it was getting dark I just caught a glimpse of a ‘flittermouse’.   Those of you who know your operas will be ...

by Miki Marks The leaves of my little St John’s- wort  (hypericum)  were obviously proving very attractive to some creature;   they  had scallop shaped ...

by Miki Marks Sumer is icumen in.  Loud sing cuckou!Groweth seed and bloweth meed. And springeth the wode now. Cuckou! These are the words of a famous ...

by Miki Marks Main Image: A New Zealand Christmas tree - the Pohutukawa The 21st of December is the Winter Solstice and is both the shortest day and the ...

by Miki Marks As the deciduous trees shed their leaves in the autumn, some Surrey woods reveal historical secrets.  Have you ever wondered why there are ...

by Miki Marks Is there a more dreaded weed in a garden than ground elder?   Not a native plant, more of a guest that has outstayed its welcome.  It is not ...

by Miki Marks January is not a popular month with many. Too long, too dark, too cold; cheerless after all the bright  celebrations in December. We have two ...

By Miki Marks Ronald Blythe died in January this year – at the age of 100 just after a new book of his writings was compiled and published, under the ...

by Miki Marks One of Nature’s life-and-death dramas played itself out in our conservatory the other day. First, there was a loud buzzing noise and on ...

By Miki Marks Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules, of Hector and Lysander etc – these figures are not heroes to me. One of my heroes died in July ...

Photo © Barnaby Bamford It seems obvious, doesn’t it, that all new developments should be built on brownfield sites to protect our diminishing green ...