GREEN FILE
This is a new page to our website but not a new idea to us as this garden has been created over the last 25 years from land that was farmland then had coal extracted by open cast mining methods. We started with our aim being to operate in an environmentally friendly way without visitors being aware that we were doing so. Now we are hoping to encourage others to do the same, so if you’re not already trying to save the planet for future generations have a go, it can be quite a challenge and every little helps.

REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE
Most of the gardens have been created using recycled materials, paving, slates, wood etc. Garden features and sculptures are made from mainly recycled metal and driftwood, others have had a past life in some other place.
Re using our customers carrier bags has proved very successful, we’re into our tenth year of doing this and have only bought 2 packs of new carriers in all this time. Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco only please as they will hold the weight of 2 plants.
We recycle aluminium cans & plastic bottles from the drinks cooler, (to which we have fitted a timer so that it only switches on early morning for two hours a day during the summer.)
All of our waste is sorted into recyclable /reusable. Cardboard, printer cartridges, plastic etc
Toys, books etc go to charity shops although we are prone to buying more than we take!
This year we asked for donations to our Macmillan Collection Box in exchange for secondhand gardening books and added £30 to the Coffee Morning which made  £103 in total.
Cardboard Boxes are reused for customers to carry away their plants, we hope that they will recycle again.
We re-use anything we possibly can, paper that’s only been used on one side is used as telephone pads and drawing paper for grandchildren then shredded and added to the compost heaps.
We will re-use returned black 2 litre pots – only if the plants have originated here as we use a specific type for good working practices. Sorry other sizes are of no use.

COMPOSTABLE WASTE
Kitchen waste is put in our Wormery and the Coffee grounds are a great slug deterrent.
Spent compost is used in every planting hole here and is also used for mulching.
Any used compost is added to the garden or re used for our container planting or cutting bags.
We are reducing the amount of peat in compost gradually until we get it right, the total change to coir was a disaster a few of years ago, so we keep on trying.

LANDSCAPE PRACTICE
All of the trees planted since 1990 have been bare root to avoid having to discard our precious top soil, we dig a deep hole, place plenty of moist humus rich material in the base and refill with soil. All were planted during winter months watered once and have grown well. (Only 1 casualty out of approx. 180 trees.)

TRIED & TESTED WATER SAVING PRACTICES
Our car parking area was made with a gravel surface so that rainwater drains through it back into the earth. Any paved areas have been created by using recycled hardcore with a dry concrete mix, this also allows water to soak back into the earth.
Since 1993 we have used landscape fabric covered with gravel or other mulch to retain moisture. This has proved very successful and we only need to water once when new plants are planted as long as we prepare as above for trees.
We add old wet shredded woollens, cotton or paper to the bottom of planting holes to retain the moisture at the plants roots  where it’s needed, it stays there indefinitely.
Mulch borders with grass cuttings, but leave a space around plant stems to avoid burning. 
Don’t feed your lawn, you’ll just have to cut and water it more often. Leave lawns growing longer during dry spells and they will recover within 6 or 7 days of the first shower of rain.
Only water until plants are established, if you water regularly roots will come to the surface looking for more, if you don’t water the roots grow towards the moist soil deep down. This also applies to grass.
We have only watered once in ten years (I panicked last year when I saw the tree leaves changing colour in June, dashed out to buy a hosepipe, watered once and it rained for two weeks non-stop after that!)
Last winter we installed an irrigation system in the nursery which means that we only water occasionally for a few minutes late at night, the water goes directly into the pots with little or no waste as any surplus works its way back into the garden below then back into the earth with no evaporation.
Forget about having hanging baskets or use water retaining granules mixed with compost set in a saucer in the very bottom of the basket.

JUNK MAIL PREVENTION
Contact www.mydm.co.uk to opt out of unwanted mail, faxes & ‘phone calls. Or return to sender with message ’ Please remove personal details from your database failure to do so will result in prosecution under the Data Protection Act.’It works like a charm! Also did you know that there are 2 polling lists? Inform your local council you want to be taken off the public list and on their private list only.

USING LOCAL PRODUCTS
Scones etc sold in the coffee shop are mostly bought from a local bakery to save additional travel and support the local economy.
Our coffee beans & herbal teas are supplied locally by Pumphreys, this year we are adding some Fair Trade products to the menu.

GREEN TRANSPORT
We can be reached by public transport. Take the  x30/x31 (every 30 minutes from Gateshead/ Newcastle) and alight at the Tanfield Railway, use the Bowes Railway Cycle Path to Birkheads Lane, turn right and we’re about 200 yds on the right. (Approx 15 minutes) Cyclists welcome, enter along our drive and park bikes in the yard instead of going further on to the car park.

WELLBEING
This year we’re hoping to create a Wellbeing Garden with Herbs & Veg for health, we already have a small Kitchen Herbery and a collection of aromatic ( touchy - feely)plants in the Bowes Railway Garden.

WILLOW WANDS available for weaving every year in December. Order  by ‘phone or email before November please and we can give a collection date. Sorry no mail order.

WILDLIFE MATTERS Our boundary hedges have been made using native species to support native wildlife. We have a designated wildlife area providing shelter for hedgehogs and other mammals. A good supply of nectar & pollen is available most of the year to help increase the diversity of insects with a wide range of suitable plants. We have 2 large ponds, plus a barrel pond and a sunken horse trough - all water features which attract regular wildlife visitors into the gardens. Material excavated to create the ponds was used to make rockeries and raise the pond borders, nothing was taken away from the site.

BIRD WATCHING  Red Kites have been spotted again over the garden this year. Regularly seen in the garden are Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Curlews, Crows, Collared Doves,  Chaffinches,  Great Tits, a single Heron, Kestrels, Marsh/Willow tits, Mistlethrushes, Pheasants, Robins, Seagulls, Siskins, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Swallows , Wrens,  Tawny Owl,
Wildlife has increased again this year with the appearance of 6 or 7 Oyster Catchers, and we think that they’re nesting about 2 miles away in a wetland meadow, also new to the garden couple of Wimbrels seen in June they’re very like Curlews but with a different call. We’ve heard a Woodpecker but not actually seen it.

BATS We’re not certain which ones but they nest in the eaves of the house and have been regularly seen on summer evenings for the last 30 years.

BEES & BUTTERFLIES  The Slate Circle was planted about twelve years ago to attract beneficial insects, this year the variety of butterflies has been astonishing, one visitor counted ten different types of butterflies & moths in September . Others regularly commented on walking through clouds of butterflies and having them land on their clothing- (the preferred fashion fabric for butterflies seems to be blue denim.) Incidentally, we have also created a habitat for spiders who are abundant under the slate mulch, fortunately for nervous visitors they stay under there. Birds & insects are now controlling all harmful pests on plants, it has taken about six years of no insecticides but this year the balance has been perfect! The Poached egg plant which was planted to attract hoverflies is also doing a wonderful job. Ladybirds hibernate regularly in Alchemilla mollis and can be seen at any time of the year.

RABBITS, HARES, FOXES & STOATS The rabbit population is food for a local fox and stoats which have easy pickings because we surrounded the garden with a rabbit fencing when we started the garden and they queue to get in when we open the gate but aren’t clever enough to get out when we close!

PS We stopped buying newspapers about 15 years ago and haven’t missed them at all. Do you actually read the papers you buy? I found them quite negative and mostly used for composting! We also decide to holiday at home for 4 out of 5 years and haven’t really missed the sun- it definitely is getting warmer at home. This year there has hardly been a day without some winter sunshine and at least five different varieties of snowdrops have flowered 3 weeks earlier than usual.