Cranleigh's iconic oak by the Leisure Centre now has a Tree Protection Order. Miki Marks on oaks, summer afternoons, crickets and the Beryl Harvey site.

Miki Marks on June's 'return of the Westerlies', the science of garden biodiversity in Ken Thompson's No Nettles Required, and the slumberous, declining hazel ...

by Penny Lynch As the days lengthen and the natural world stirs into life, many of us feel that familiar pull to be in the garden.   And we all know that ...

by Miki Marks Hearing a chain saw whine is enough to raise my blood pressure as I wonder which mature tree is being felled next.  We have lost 3 around ...

by Miki Marks Gilbert White has been described as our first great nature writer.  He lived from 1720 to 1793.   He was country curate to the village of ...

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 ...