|
|
The Azada gardening tool. This is the most sensible kind of tool for all garden work. It is being made by Simon Drummond, of Cromer, Norfolk. He doesn't just make one, he makes them in many sizes, weights and shapes, but they all do the same job. They break up ground. |
|
| What Simon has
to say about the Azada all purpose tool |
"I first became familiar with these tools when I lived in Spain and Portugal, involved in agriculture and soil surveying. I soon noticed that farmers used them for everything from cleaning between the grapes, digging irrigation ditches to planting a wide range of crops. They are also used in other sectors including construction. Use them for mixing cement and again - it's so much easier. I call these tools by their Spanish name, Azadas, but obviously they have as many different names as there are places where they are used. I later spent several years in Venezuela and again saw farmers using Azadas. My son recently returned after working on a wildlife project in Kenya, clearing tracks through the bush. He used the same tools - there they call them "jembes". If you keep an eye open while watching TV, (it helps!), you'll soon notice them cropping up in programmes about other countries - they're used across the world but, amazingly, we don't use them here." | |
 |
Wonderful - a British site devoted to all aspects of gardening - advice, shopping, features -check them out - join their mailing list | |
 |
The Eden Project, St Austell, Cornwall. 35 acre site of biodomes representing different climatic zones - mission statement - “Promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, leading towards a sustainable future for all.” Pay it a visit.
|
|
 |
Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh got together to create this site. It's fun and wacky - they do have an 'ask the expert' slot - however it took them six weeks to get back to me and then they never answered the question. | |
|
|
THE national organic gardening organisation - Henry Doubleday Research Association, now going under some other fancy name. This is the one site where you should be able to find out everything organic. However in my experience of many years as a member, it's run by a bunch of academics on the 'jobs for the boys' basis and they're pretty hopeless at everything. So just hope that what you want is already in their database, because getting anything new out of them takes something the equivalent of a government commission. | |
 |
CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY, MACHYNLLETH, WALES Brilliant place for a visit - all forms of alternative energy are not just demonstrated, they are being used. People live on site and they have accommodation for visitors so you can experience living with renewable resources - including my own favourite, the SELF-COMPOSTING TOILET. Great place to send the kids while you get away somewhere sunny, too! Tell em its educational. |
|
| THE BIG ONE - The Soil Association - a really professional lot. Every organic food producer in Britain has to have their stamp of approval before they can sell true organic produce. Just to begin with the soil that the veges etc are grown in must have had no chemical treatments for two full years. Read the details on their site. | ||
|
This page was last updated 11 March 2001 13:13 |
||
email
. . . . . . . . . . or else! |
|
