Challenge 5 - Leisure and Gardening

Leisure and Gardening offer a great way to relax. We all need a break from our normal day-to-day activities. So pull on your wellies, grab the gardening tools and dig in!

Take a Minute

• Get out and about, even if it's just around your street. There are loads of great walking routes, public footpaths, parks and historic houses in Worcestershire for you to enjoy.
• Avoid using weed killers, chemical fertilisers and slug pellets in your garden. Choose one of the many environmentally-friendly alternatives available.
• Don't be tempted to use a patio heater in the garden on those chilly nights – these account for about 1m tonnes of CO2 emissions a year! Pop on an extra jumper instead.

Take a Day

• Grow your own fruit and vegetables. It only takes a day to clear a bit of the garden for a veg plot. If you only have a small garden there are many varieties you can grow in pots on a patio or windowsill – salad leaves work particularly well.
• Use sustainable sourced charcoal for your barbeque. The UK consumes around 40 000 tonnes of charcoal on barbeques every year, 90% of which is imported, mostly from tropical countries.
• Book a 'staycation'. Avoid the stress of airports; holidaying in the UK rather than travelling abroad is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Take a Month

• Create your own compost. You can compost much of your kitchen waste – from fruit and veg peelings to teabags and egg shells. You can then use the finished compost in the garden. If you don't have room for a compost bin try a wormery; they are great for small spaces and the worms produce 'worm tea' which can be used on plants instead of a chemical fertiliser.
• Install a water butt in your garden and use rainwater to water your plants or wash the car. If every household in the UK got a standard water butt this would save about 30 000 million litres of water each summer.
• Make wildlife welcome. With careful planning you can create a haven for all kinds of wildlife. The RSPB have lots of useful tips and advice on their website.

Local Businesses

eco2party - Do Environmental Parties for 4 year olds upwards. The party is based around arts and craft activities. Each party is unique and designed around the age of the guests.

R J White and Son Ltd - offer raised beds and planters using chemical free timber. The product can be easily assembled and has a long lifespan.

	Learn more about Leisure and Gardening Activities  Sustainable Gardening  Local Attractions  Grow your own  Allotments  DIY
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