Thames Valley drivers are second worst speeders in England and Wales

A speeding ticket was issued every four minutes in 2016

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/thames-valley-drivers-second-worst-13820651

Secret Gardens and Secret Gardeners…what is the difference?

I’ve been sent review copies of Secret Gardens of East Anglia by Barbara Segall & Marcus Harpur, and The Secret Gardeners by Victoria Summerley & Hugo Rittson Thomas.

In fact, gardening is not usually a very secretive topic. There’s nothing gardeners and garden-lovers like better than to talk about gardens, visit gardens and share their own garden.

But there are many gardens we simply won’t get to see, or that we can only see on a few ‘open days’ a year. These two books open the gates of these.

The Secret Gardeners – Britain’s Creatives reveal their private sanctuaries.

(Links to Amazon are affiliate links, which means you can buy the books directly. If you do, I may get a small fee but it won’t affect the price you pay.)

Celebrity secret gardens…

The Secret Gardeners is (beautifully) written by Victoria Summerly with photographs by Hugo Rittson Thomas. It’s sub-titled ‘Britain’s creatives reveal their private sanctuaries.’

There is an impressive list of 25 of ‘Britain’s notable creatives’ whose gardens are featured.

If you’ve ever wondered whether famous people have different gardens from the rest of us, this is the book for you. It features the gardens of Julian Clary, Kirstie Allsopp, Rupert Everett, Jeremy Irons, Cath Kidston, Prue Leith, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Griff Rhys Jones, Sting…and lots more.

Sting and Trudie Styler’s parterre, with their initials intertwined. Photo by Hugo Rittson Thomas.

As the book says these are ‘individuals who are not known for their gardens’, which is what makes it so interesting.  They are also individuals who have been successful enough to have the gardens they really want.

What we want…what we really, really want…

And it seems that what they (and therefore possibly we) really want are beautiful views, bosomy herbaceous borders, classical parterres, tumbling roses, shrubs and a laburnum walk.

Kirstie Allsopp – the first of her ‘three garden rooms.’ I love the painted Wendy house. Photo by Hugo Rittson Thomas.

Swathes of immaculately striped lawns frame old stone or brick in every garden. Victorian greenhouses and glasshouses have been beautifully restored.

And there are even pots of red begonias (Rupert Everett).

The English country garden rules…

Perhaps there is something about a traditional English country garden that transcends fame, fortune and fashion.

One of the most dramatic photos is of a well known rock star. He is wearing full Gothic black, and is framed by two classical urns, pink hydrangeas and a neatly clipped box hedge. Behind him, the misty English countryside wafts timelessly across the horizon.

Then you’ve got Julian Clary with his love of cottage garden style. And Kirstie Allsopp whizzing across the lawn on a quad bike with a poached egg.

There are exceptions…

Sting and Trudie Styler have a dramatic, contemporary ‘turf labyrinth’. There’s a wonderful photo of them running across it, which made my knees twinge in sympathy. I don’t think I could scamper across a lawn in quite such an agile way.

There is also some experimental, contemporary – or even eccentric – sculpture (Daniel Chadwick, Gus Christie, Cameron Mackintosh). However, it is balanced by classical cherubs, sundials, urns and fountains in many of the other gardens.

The Secret Gardeners is a good read. Keep it by your bedside to dip into on a winter night.

Secret Gardens of East Anglia

Secret Gardens of East Anglia is also a good read. It’s beautifully and knowledgeably written by the award-winning garden writer, Barbara Segall.

The stunning photographs were taken by Marcus Harpur, who died just as the book was being published. Garden photography has lost a huge talent. The photographs in this book really jump out at you, glowing with colour. Those in the gardening world who knew him are deeply saddened by his loss.

Why East Anglia?

‘The big skies and extraordinary light of East Anglia make it unlike anywhere else in British. It offers the most amazing natural conditions in which to create gardens’, according to the author.

East Anglia is also genuinely a relative secret. The British have tended to go west on their travels – the Cotswolds, Dorset, Wales, Cornwall…or up to Scotland.

Not many people think of going garden visiting in Essex.

But if they do, they will come across Ulting Wick, for example. Philippa Burroughs, the owner, ‘has a deft and intuitive use of colour, matched by a thorough knowledge of plants and an exuberant determination to try different combinations.’

Philippa Burroughs at Ulting Wick, for example, constantly experiments with colours. Photo by Marcus Harpur.

For passionate gardeners and garden lovers

The garden owners in Secret Gardens of East Anglia are not necessarily professional gardeners. But they are part of what I would call ‘the gardening world.’ They are experts, even if they don’t have formal qualifications or actually get their hands dirty (and most of them do).

Most have ‘grown up’ with their gardens, experimenting with what works and what doesn’t in a relatively hands-on way.

I imagine that everyone in both books goes to RHS Chelsea at some point. But the East Anglian garden owners are probably also more likely to go to the other RHS shows.

Flip through some of the gardens here:

I’ve done a video review which shows a bit more of both books:

Read them together….

It’s been so interesting to read these two books at the same time. If you flipped quickly through, you would see parterres, clipped topiary, lavender and roses in both.

Both books feature excellence in English country gardens. After all, English country gardens are a style and genre of their own, appreciated world wide.

Looking more closely, I’d say that the gardens in Secret Gardens of East Anglia are more experimental and contemporary.

Colour and structure at Ulting Wick. Photo by Marcus Harpur.

Unlike Monty Don’s new book, Down to Earth, neither book has any ‘How To’ or small garden element in it. They are both for pure enjoyment. And about understanding what drives people to create their gardens.

If you were buying presents, I’d suggest giving The Secret Gardeners to someone who likes  gardens (but would probably appreciate another ‘hook’ to the book).

And give The Secret Gardens of East Anglia to someone who loves gardens (or, of course, East Anglia).

But just make sure that you can borrow both.

The post Secret Gardens and Secret Gardeners…what is the difference? appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/secret-gardens-and-secret-gardeners-what-is-the-difference/

Saturday quiz

Do you know the plants in this illustration? They’re from the Oxford Book of Wild Flowers, published in 1960.

If you think you know them all, post your suggestions in the comments below, or on our Facebook page or tweet @wildflower_hour. Answers tomorrow.

 

 

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/10/28/saturday-quiz-2/

The Rum Festival set to come to Reading for the first time

More than 100 special rums will be available at the event

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/rum-festival-set-come-reading-13818416

Tributes paid to pedestrian who died after Reading IDR crash

Police are investigating the fatal crash which happened at around 12.45am on Saturday, October 21

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/tributes-paid-pedestrian-who-died-13820655

One in 15 rapes results in a conviction in Thames Valley

Seven per cent of reported rapes have lead to attackers being jailed but figures may not tell the whole story

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/one-15-rapes-results-conviction-13754521

Halloween: Pick your own pumpkin patches near Berkshire

Find out where you can pick your own pumpkins from farms in the area.

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/halloween-pick-your-pumpkin-patches-10274044

Creepy cocktail recipes to complete your Halloween party in Reading

From black widow vodka shots to pumpkin spice punch, spookify your party cocktails with our Halloween recipes

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/halloween-creepy-cocktail-recipes-complete-10241621

American drama rumoured to be filming in Reading

The eight part American drama is rumoured to have started filming at Reading Prison

from getreading - TV http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/tv/american-drama-rumoured-filming-reading-13811791

TV crews spotted filming at Reading Prison

A number of film trailers are parked outside the prison

from getreading - TV & Film http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/tv-film/film-crew-reading-prison-tv-13799233

Man found dead near Earley underpass named

An inquest into the death of the 34-year-old man has been opened

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/man-found-dead-near-earley-13799104

31 fun things to do in Berkshire with the kids

Take a look at our list of things you can get up to with the kids all year round in the Berkshire area and beyond

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/31-fun-things-kids-reading-10729704

22 October

What a determined bunch of #wildflowerhour members you are. Storms and the shortening days couldn’t stop you from finding so many beautiful blooms in Britain and Ireland.

Tonight’s star image is from @wikiping.

We also had our first week of our winter challenge to find ten plants in bloom, and you embraced this with such enthusiasm too. More on that tomorrow.

Here are the highlights from a really lovely Sunday night. Thank you.

#wildflowerhour 22 Oct

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/10/22/22-october/

Give us some wild flower power

#wildflowerhour has been going for two years and is just one of the best things about social media. But because we started really by accident and have ended up being fabulously accidentally popular, like one of those evenings when you think you’re staying in but end up staying out until the small hours, we need a bit of help.

At the moment, we have two volunteers running this site and the social media mayhem that takes place every Sunday, with a lot of help from the wonderful Louise Marsh at the BSBI, who has done more to grow #wildflowerhour than anyone else.

But to make #wildflowerhour even bigger in 2018, we need some more hands on deck.

Some of you have already offered help with social media work, and this is brilliant. If you think you could help compiling ID requests, answering questions and encouraging new people, then we’d love to hear from you.

But we are also looking for:

• People who fancy curating certain pages, such as our orchids page, our verges campaign page (which supports Plantlife), and any new parts of the site that they can suggest.
• Volunteers with a passion for admin: namely, working out rotas of those who can help each week (we will recruit them so it’s just a case of having that special fun with a spreadsheet that only admin fiends understand);
• Technical whizzes who can offer ideas on how to grow the site and tools to improve it;
• Ambassadors, which is just a posh name for people who know how to get the word out about #wildflowerhour so that we are enticing more and more people to look forward to Sunday night and getting more and more people to realise how wonderful our native flora is.
• Thinkers, which is a posh name for people who have clever ideas about how they think #wildflowerhour can grow, but don’t have much time beyond filling in a form.

Basically, whoever you are, we want to hear from you. #wildflowerhour will always be non-profit, it will always promote the work of BSBI, Plantlife and the Wildlife Trusts (and anyone else who wants our love), and it will always need enthusiastic volunteers who just love plants to help.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if not only did #wildflowerhour trend every Sunday night as it does, but it brought botany to an even bigger audience and made more and more people realise the joy of plants.

If you can help, fill in the form below:

[contact-form]

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/10/22/give-us-some-wild-flower-power/

How to dry chillies – 3 easy ways

I’ve just learned how to dry chillies Italian-style.

If you stroll round the ancient hilltop towns of southern Italy in October, you will see strings of chillies drying everywhere.

We’re all growing more chillies now, and ‘Chilli Festivals’ are the fastest-growing horticultural event in the UK. But, like all homegrown fruit and vegetable, you do suddenly get alot of chillies at once.

Many houses in this hilltop town have chillies hanging to dry from the the windows.

Preserving your homegrown fruit, vegetables and herbs is an art form in Italy. Nothing is wasted – and the southern part is poorer than the north. Preserving is frugality made beautiful.

More chillies hanging out to dry. The owners of the house may have grown these in pots, or bought them in big branches from the local greengrocers.

My sister-and-brother-in-law, Penny and Peter, have just moved to a small hillside olive farm in Puglia (the heel and instep of Italy’s ‘boot’). Their three room cottage – or casa di campagna – is filled with bottles and jars of Penny’s home preserved and home-grown goodies.

Penny’s home-dried chillies.

There are strings of dry chillies – or drying chillies – hanging both inside and outside the house.

Last year I froze my spare homegrown chillies. All I got was a soggy and tasteless mess (although chillies are supposed to freeze, so I must have done something wrong.) So I asked Penny to show me the Italian ways of drying chillies.

The super-easy way to dry chillies…

If you grow your own chillies, then the easiest way of drying them is to dig the whole plant up, shake the earth off and hang it upside down in a well-ventilated place.

Penny and Peter’s casa di campagna has attractive green windows. Penny has used the bars to hang a chilli plant upside down to dry.

Penny’s Italian neighbours told her to dry chillies out of direct sunlight, but we saw several strings of chillies drying in quite sunny spots. So I think it’s a question of trial and error.

You might try a greenhouse, a kitchen window or even a warm airing cupboard.

Hang your chillies in a well ventilated greenhouse, potting shed or at the kitchen window. The UK is more humid than southern Italy, so keep an eye out for rot or mould.

It’s really not much more complicated than that, although you do need to pick the leaves off.  And snip off any chilli that is bruised or rotting. Penny advises you to turn the bunch every few days, giving it a gentle shake to shed any remaining leaves.

The temperature at Penny’s, incidentally, ranges from 12-25C/50-73F in October, getting quite cold at night. When we were there, it was roughly the same temperature as Kent (UK), although we were having a bit of a late heat wave!

How to create beautiful strings of dry chillies

A string of chillies is called a ristra. This method is good if you grow your own chillies or buy big bunches of chillies, still on the branch, from farmers’ markets. It’s also good for drying peppers.

Strings of chillies hanging outside a house in town. Choose a spot with good air circulation.

Cut the chillies off the branch leaving a longish stem – around 3cm is good.

You need a strong, fine thread – raid the sewing basket, or use fine fishing thread. If using cotton thread, use a double thickness.

Tie a knot at the end, so the chillies can’t slip off. This needs to have a bow, so you can hang the chillies.

Then thread the needle through the cap of the chilli, where it joins the stalk. Don’t pierce it too far up the stalk or it will split.

The thread goes through the ‘cap’ of the chillies.

Gently work the chilli down to the knot. Repeat. When you have threaded the whole string, spread the chillies out as much as possible, so that each chilli faces a different way to the one above.

Make sure that each chilli faces in a different direction from the one above.

How long do the chillies take to dry?

How long is a piece of string threaded with chillies? Seriously, though, it’s a question of how warm and dry the weather is, and how much ventilation your chillies get. Some people suggest that chillies dry in the open air in three days, but I think that’s optimistic, especially in October.

All the chillies strung up, ready to hang.

Check the string every few days, turning it upside down and hanging it from what was the bottom. Remove any rotting chillies. When the chillies start to rattle with a noise like scrunched-up tissue paper, they are ready. You can cut them up and put them in jars. Or leave them hanging in festive strings.

How to dry chillies in the oven

This is quicker but less beautiful.

Penny has dried some of her chillies flat in the sunlight, but I suspect that there isn’t enough Northern hemisphere sunshine to make this workable for many of us. We will need to turn on our ovens (very low – around 40C). The warming oven of an Aga is perfect, too.

Chillies drying on a chair in the sun in a street in Puglia. We probably don’t have enough sunlight for this method in the UK – but if your chillies ripen early in August, you could try it. Otherwise it’s the oven!

Spread the chillies out on a piece of baking paper in a flat or roasting tin. Put them in the oven and check them every 30-45 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. This can take 3-6 hours, depending on your oven temperature and how big your chillies are.

In Puglia, people use chillies instead of pepper, adding a little chilli to most dishes.

Penny’s pesto is made almost entirely from homegrown nuts and basil. She’s added a little chilli instead of pepper.

Pin for reference

 

The post How to dry chillies – 3 easy ways appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-dry-chillies-3-easy-ways/

Saturday quiz

Think you know your wild flowers? How about these then? They’re wild flowers, illustrated beautifully in the Oxford Book of Wild Flowers, published in 1960.

If you know all six of them, tweet us @wildflower_hour, post them in the comments below or join in on our Facebook page. Answers tomorrow.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/10/21/saturday-quiz/

This Halloween meet the Farley Hill witch and the Bull Inn spectres

There are plenty of creatures and ghosts to see in Berkshire

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/halloween-meet-farley-hill-witch-13787963

Challenge: The Winter Ten

There’s plenty of rubbish out there about how the nights are drawing in and the worst season is coming along. Yes, yes, winter’s coming and all that, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop botanising. It’s just a different sort of challenge.

Every week in the spring and summer, we’ve been running different #wildflowerhour challenges to encourage you to go looking for new flowers, in new habitats and in different ways. But though the meadows are turning russet and ochre, there are still flowers out there to find.

So our weekly winter challenge is #thewinter10 which is to find ten different wild flowers in bloom each week. Once you’ve found them, work out what they are, and post them for the rest of us to see.

You can do this on Twitter using the usual #wildflowerhour hashtag, but adding #thewinter10, and numbering your tweets so that we can see that you reached 10. Or you can post all 10 at once in our Facebook group.

This will give us a picture of what’s still flowering as the days grow colder and shorter, and encourage all of us to get off the sofa and get out into what remains the great outdoors all year round: the only difference is that you’ll want to wear a coat and gloves.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/10/20/the-winter-10/

Armed robbery suspects arrested in Burghfield

Money was stolen from a security office in Oxford after staff were threatened with a knife on Friday, October 20

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/armed-robbery-suspects-arrested-burghfield-13790955

Shock at Reading Station as independent ice cream shop closes

The popular Reading railway café closed on Tuesday

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/shock-reading-station-independent-ice-13788882

Fireworks and Bonfire Night displays in Berkshire 2017

Find out where you can attend a bonfire night and fireworks display in Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham in 2017

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/fireworks-bonfire-night-displays-berkshire-7826160

Illegal worker at Reading restaurant changed clothes and pretended to be a customer

Council bosses and police have also revealed a host of other licence breaches, as well as hygiene and fire safety concerns at the China Palace

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/illegal-worker-reading-restaurant-changed-13774192

The future is green for Reading as 2050 vision is launched

Reading puts green technology, culture and diversity and rivers and parks at the heart of it's development

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/future-green-reading-2050-vision-13785736

Have you seen Arborfield man Michael John Cole and his missing children?

Superintendent Shaun Virtue says police have "concerns for the boys’ long-term welfare"

from getreading - News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/you-seen-arborfield-man-michael-13785919

Weather bomb in Atlantic will bring Storm Brian to Berkshire

Strong winds are forecast to hit Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/weather-bomb-atlantic-bring-storm-13784907

Reading station bike thief jailed

Michael Howe was sentenced at Reading Crown Court

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-station-bike-thief-jailed-13780276

Sainsbury's reveals plan to cut 2,000 jobs

The supermarket giant is slashing thousands of jobs over the next thee years

from getreading - Business http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/sainsburys-plan-cut-2000-jobs-13778168

Woman jailed for illegally importing border collies from puppy farms

Many dogs sold by Helen Moorey became extremely ill and required urgent medical care

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/woman-jailed-illegally-importing-border-13773423

Royal Berkshire Hospital boss discusses u turn on plans to close hydrotherapy pool

Plans to shut Reading's only NHS funded hydrotherapy pool sparked outrage when they were announced last year

from getreading - Health http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/health/royal-berkshire-hospital-boss-discusses-13769188

NSPCC needs your help to prevent child suicides

Childline counsellors held more than 22,400 counselling sessions last year with children who were considering taking their own lives

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/nspcc-needs-your-help-prevent-13768514

If you have one of these Berkshire family names you could be in line to inherit a fortune

Dozens of unclaimed estates from Reading and the wider county are up for grabs

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/you-one-berkshire-family-names-13740945

It has been 30 years since The Great Storm which saw Reading lose hundreds of trees as 80mph winds hit

30 years ago today one of the most ferocious storms ever recorded hit Berkshire

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/great-storm-reading-loses-hundreds-12026063

Six pubs you didn't know were up for sale in Berkshire

If it's always been your dream to run a pub, check these out

from getreading - Business http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/six-pubs-you-didnt-know-13747693

Wokingham drivers face weeks of disruptive roadworks

South East Water contractors will be replacing an unreliable water main under Reading Road

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/wokingham-drivers-face-weeks-disruptive-13757363

Is someone stealing your blog? (And what to do about it)

How do you know when someone is stealing your blog?

And what can you do about it? I’ve just had this experience (not for the first time).

So have several other bloggers. As I occasionally cover blogging and writing help as well as gardening, I thought a post might be helpful.

Firstly, what is ‘stealing your blog’?

When you write a blog (or anything else that is published), you automatically own the copyright. The moment you press ‘publish’ or the presses roll, the words go out into the world, but they remain your property.

If someone reproduces your blog post on their blog exactly (in full or almost in full), this is called ‘scraping’. The Middlesized Garden has often been ‘scraped’.

That means that my whole blog post, complete with photographs and sub-headings is simply rolled out on someone else’s blog.

This post on How To Transform Your Garden With Upcycled Junk was reproduced in full, with all the photographs, on a ‘scraping’ site without my permission. The scraper has been politely asked to remove it, but he has not replied.

If you are reading this on a blog called ‘The Middlesized Garden’, you are reading the original. If you are reading this on a blog about – for example – healthy living, then it has been stolen (or ‘scraped’).

There is usually a credit or a link tucked away somewhere, but that doesn’t legally justify stealing paragraphs of words and pictures that I have worked hard to create.

Bloggers who scrape do it to gain money through advertising or affiliate schemes.

Scraping is completely different from linking. Maybe you’re here because you were reading another blog. They mentioned or quoted a few lines from the Middlesized Garden with a link through, so you could read more.

You clicked on that link and here you are, on the Middlesized Garden itself. That’s great. It’s good blogging etiquette and it helps everyone.

And you can’t use photographs you find online

No-one is legally allowed to ‘right-click’ on your photographs and use them without your permission.

In fact, if you yourself have been using photographs you found on the internet (for your blog, website, posters, flyers…anything), then you need to stop.

Because photographic agencies now apparently make more money fining people for using their photos illegally than they do from actually selling them.

I took this photograph at Pettifers on a Clive Nichols photography workshop. I haven’t put a copyright watermark on it, but it is still my copyright.

So let’s be absolutely clear. If you use a photograph – in any way whatsoever – without the permission of the photographer, you are breaking copyright law. You can be taken to court and/or fined.

The photographer will tell you how much to pay, whether you have to credit them, or link back to them. Or what any other conditions are. You can’t use photos without permission even if you do credit the photographer or link back to them.

You need to understand the basics of copyright law

Last year I was ‘scraped’ by a garden blogger who was reproducing my posts in full. So were Two Thirsty Gardeners and Real Men Sow.

I have exchanged many a cheery email with Jonno from Real Men Sow, as his blog is often scraped along with mine.

When I asked the scraper to take my posts down, he said they were ‘in the public domain, so he had a right to use them under Creative Commons.’

He was wrong.

‘In the public domain’ means that everyone knows something. For example, everyone knows that Prince William married Kate Middleton. That knowledge is in the public domain. Anyone can talk or write about it.

However, if someone writes a book, an article or a blog post about the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, those books, articles and posts would be protected by copyright.

You couldn’t just publish the author’s words on your own blog, website or company literature.

Then what is Creative Commons?

But sometimes people do want others to be free to use their work. In that case, they can apply for a license called ‘Creative Commons’.

A Creative Commons license can apply to blog posts, books, poetry – anything which is published.

Photo agencies often have some photos available under ‘Creative Commons’. They allow free use of the photo. But they may impose conditions such as ‘credit the photographer’ or ‘non-commercial use only.’

You need to stick to any conditions of a Creative Commons license or you could be fined.

This image of a dahlia was downloaded free from Pixabay. When I downloaded it, I checked that no attribution was needed and that it can used for anything. The photographer, however, is labelled msandersmusic, and I did have the option of buying him/her a coffee, which is a nice way to reward someone for their work.

So how do you find out who is stealing your blog?

I use wordpress.org and when other sites link to mine, the link comes up for me to ‘approve’ in the Comments section. I always check links before approving them.

You can also set a Google alert. Copy and paste a paragraph of your post into Google alert and if Google finds a duplicate it will tell you that someone is stealing your blog.

There’s an excellent post here with some good resources from Kissmetrics.

And let’s work together…

We can all let each other know. When I find someone stealing my blog, I usually notice that they’re stealing from several other bloggers too.

This time Marks Veg Plot, Urban Veg Patch, You Grow Girl and a couple of others are being scraped along with me. We have all been in touch with each other.

You Grow Girl even has copyright watermarks on her photographs. That hasn’t prevented them from being used illegally – they’re still on the photos on the scraped site.

Even though we act individually, I’m sure it helps if several bloggers ask for their posts to be taken down at around the same time. We also all exchange information, and that can be very helpful all round.

So, if you’re active in any blogging/garden blogging forums or groups, do please share this. The more people who know about it, the better.

And you can discover other interesting things…

When I was going through the site that is currently scraping me, I discovered more puzzling blogging behaviour.

(I’m not going to name the scraping site, by the way, because I don’t want to encourage click-throughs. These people just want click-throughs, so let’s not give them any.)

However one of the other garden bloggers apparently being scraped had a site with a huge banner saying ‘Welcome to the UK’s Number 1 Garden blog’.

Interesting. In four years of garden blogging, I had never heard of it. The two most respected garden blog rankings are Vuelio and Feedspot  .

I’ve never seen this gardening blog – shall we call it ‘Alleged Number One’ – on either.

But listings, like awards, can be quite random. Good blogs are often left off. And there are loads of other Garden Blog listings, all featuring different blogs.

So I decided to run Alleged Number One through Buzzsumo, which tells you how often a site’s posts are shared and how many shares they got. According to Buzzsumo, Alleged Number One has only ever had one share (on Twitter).

And Alleged Number One’s name has very slight similarities to Alternative Eden, which was the UK Number 1 Garden blog (Vuelio) for around four years.

However, after a bit more poking around, it looks like that is just a coincidence.  Sorry, getting diverted…

What can you do about someone stealing your blog?

Firstly, write to the blogger. Contact details are often tucked away on scraping sites, but they can usually be found. Ask them politely to respect copyright and take your posts down.

So far, hardly anyone has ever even replied.  The man who thought he was allowed to reproduce other people’s posts under ‘Creative Commons’ did get back to us all. He eventually took all our posts down.

He genuinely hadn’t understood copyright law, and thanked me for being polite.

Next, you find out who hosts the blog by running it through WhoIsHostingThis. This is a website which tells you who hosts the blog you are trying to contact.

If you don’t recognise the hosting company, google it. Then look up ‘report abuse’ on its site.  There is a form to fill in. Like all forms ,it may not be wholly clear.

The hosting company should take the offending posts down, and may even shut down the whole site. That’s why it’s helps if everyone acts. Several complaints are likely to be more effective than just one.

What a faff…

All this is stressful and time-consuming. I usually find out I’m being scraped when I’m checking my comments – just as I’m about to write a post. It takes me ages to contact everyone and fill out forms.

So why bother? What harm does it do? Don’t you get a few visitors via the link that is stealing your blog, if the scraper has included it somewhere in the post?

I’ve never seen any evidence that I get readers from scraping sites. I’m not happy about my posts ending up next to belly fat ads or suggestions that I might like gaming or senior singles. If I was, I’d take ads myself, and I don’t.

And I often contribute tips or photographs to other bloggers’ round-ups, but I really don’t see why someone should simply take my (or anyone else’s) work in its entirety and place ads against it to earn money.

If someone is reproducing other people’s posts on the grounds that they believe everything on the internet should be free, then they shouldn’t be charging for it through advertisements. Earning money from other people’s work doesn’t equal ‘free.’

I get the sense that this particular scraper is just rolling all our posts onto his site without even bothering to read them.

So it will be rather funny if this pops up on it (especially with this image).

Do pin this for reference or to help spread the word – thank you!

Anyone who has read this far is probably a blogger, so please do share this in any online blogging groups or forums you’re on. Copyright theft is illegal.  It’s like stealing fruit or vegetables that someone has spent time growing, then selling them at a market.

And let me know if someone has been stealing your blog – all experiences and advice very welcome! Thank you!

The post Is someone stealing your blog? (And what to do about it) appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/is-someone-stealing-your-blog-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Serial burglars jailed after raiding Bracknell supermarket

The men stole large amounts of cigarettes, electronic games and cash during a number of burglaries

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/serial-burglars-jailed-after-raiding-13754153

The Great British Bake Off - discover the secrets of the tent

We go behind the scenes of the Bake Off by asking the bakers  who have taken part

from getreading - TV http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/tv/great-british-bake-discover-secrets-13745514

The best restaurant in the world is a bit of a trek from Reading but the second one isn't that far

If you live in Reading the world's best restaurant, The Black Swan at Oldstead, North Yorkshire, may be too far to travel to, but the next on the list is quite close

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/best-restaurant-world-bit-trek-13750528

EE Limited mobile network outage means many users can't make or receive calls

Company working on fix after service started to experience issues this morning

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/ee-limited-mobile-network-outage-13742022

EE mobile network outage means many users can't make or receive calls

Company working on fix after service started to experience issues this morning

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/ee-mobile-network-outage-means-13742022

Criminals targeting white cars and shipping them abroad - and one victim says he knows why

Thieves going after particular makes and models, and they even have a favourite colour

from getreading - Motoring News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/motoring/motoring-news/criminals-targeting-white-cars-shipping-13741676

Berkshire expected to bake in sunshine this weekend as Storm Ophelia brings Indian summer to UK

Highs of 21°C are expected in Reading this weekend

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/berkshire-expected-bake-sunshine-weekend-13740736

Where can I buy Children in Need 2017 merchandise?

Here's all you need to know about merchandise available as part of this year's appeal

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/children-need-2017-buy-merchandise-10419855

Ascot duo arrested in £35 million tax fraud investigation

10 people were arrested following raids at three homes and 12 businesses across the country on Wednesday, October 4

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/ascot-duo-arrested-35-million-13735080

Berkshire group aims to break world record on World Mental Health Day

The 'Spectrum' lesson event is being done as part of World Mental Health Day

from getreading - Health http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/health/berkshire-group-aims-break-world-13720796

Review: Monty Don’s new book ‘Down To Earth’

Monty Don’s new book, Down to Earth, has lots of good practical advice, but it isn’t a ‘how to.’

Monty Don’s new book, ‘Down To Earth’, at its launch on the Ham Yard Hotel’s roof garden in October 2017.

Down to Earth is about Monty’s personal gardening philosophy, and what works for him.

Monty says that the idea came to him while he was on a yoga holiday. His publishers hadn’t asked for a book. As he scribbled down everything he wanted to say, he didn’t know if it would ever be published.

To be honest, most book publishers would publish a laundry list if it came from Monty Don. He is genuinely loved.

I ran a video short interview with him on the Middlesized Garden Facebook page and the comments ‘love that man’ came flying in.

Monty launching Down to Earth. I put a video of our interview on the Middlesized Garden Facebook page, and comments included ‘Love that man.’ and ‘Love his scarf’. His easy, natural style (and strong visual sense) comes across in ‘Down to Earth.’

However, ‘Down to Earth’ is far from being a laundry list. It’s not even a list of ‘gardening jobs to do’ or ‘top tips’. It explains the ‘why’ of gardening.

And, yes, we do need to know the ‘why’, just as much as the ‘what’.

Everything from garden design to veg growing

‘Down to Earth’ is about everything that’s worked for Monty throughout his lifetime of gardening. He’s not a professional gardener, he explains. But he’s seen many, many seasons come and go.

Over the past twenty years, I’ve read alot of gardening books, I’ve been to talks, I’ve visited gardens and I’ve interviewed expert gardeners. Even so, I learned quite a bit from this book.

For example, I’ve long been trying to create a ‘white border’. In ‘Down to Earth’, Monty explains that a ‘white border’ is effectively a ‘green border with white highlights.’ Instead of focusing on which white-flowered plants to buy, I should have been planning the foliage structure.

Aha! Lightbulb moment. No wonder my white border has always looked so scrappy. He also adds that white borders are best in shadier spots as white bleaches out in strong sun.

Is ‘Down to Earth’ accessible for new gardeners?

Down to Earth is chatty and friendly. You can dip in and out of it, or look up a particular topics, such as ‘containers’ or ‘shrubs’.

But you could also keep it on the bedside table as a book to enjoy.

There are useful pull-out quotes in each chapter. On tools, for example, he says ‘ you really only need a spade, fork, rake, hoe, trowel, secateurs and a knife.’

Monty’s ‘7 essential tools’ are the same as mine, except that I’ve recommended a hand fork rather than a knife. Personally, I use the hand fork alot, though I find a knife useful too. Perhaps it should be ‘8 essential tools’. What do you think?

As I did a post on the seven essential tools for your garden, I hastily checked it to see if they were the same ‘seven essential tools’ as Monty’s. Phew. Only one difference – I’ve got a hand fork instead of a knife in my round-up.

For small or middle-sized gardens?

Size is a funny thing in the gardening world. A quarter of an acre can be described as a ‘big garden’ or ‘absolutely tiny.’ Monty Don’s own garden, Longmeadow, is considerably larger than most of our gardens.

But advice like ”It is a mistake to think of a pot as a wholly independent flower arrangement. It needs to work with the colours and textures of the building’ holds good for all sizes of garden.

‘Down to Earth’ is organic and wildlife-friendly in a low-key way. You wouldn’t necessarily know this from watching BBC Gardeners World, but Monty is an organic gardener and was president of the Soil Association for several years.

He also gardens with wildlife in mind (and he points out that slugs, moles rabbits and mosquitoes are all wildlife too).

But he doesn’t ram either down your throat.

In the spirit of full disclosure…

I should say that I was invited to a launch party for Monty Don’s ‘Down to Earth‘, and I was also given a free copy to review.

Monty Don signs my copy of ‘Down to Earth’ on the Ham Yard Hotel roof garden.

Incidentally, I sometimes wonder why newspapers and magazines – who are given everything free to review and are often invited to launch parties – aren’t legally obliged to disclose such things while bloggers are. I doubt that any of us has ever read a book review (except on Amazon) where the reviewer has actually paid for the book.

(And speaking of Amazon, you can buy Down to Earth by clicking on links in this post. If you do I may get a small fee).

But this does give me the opportunity to mention the launch party, which was held on the Roof Garden of the Ham Yard Hotel.

Cocktails worth disclosing on the roof at the Ham Yard Hotel.

Were DK Books being witty in launching a book called ‘Down to Earth‘ on a roof? Or did they choose it because it’s a very attractive roof garden, with delicious food and drink?

A ‘horse’ bench on the roof garden at the Ham Yard Hotel.

Either way, do go, if you get the chance. London is leading the way in roof gardens at the moment. And the cocktails at the Ham Yard Hotel are well worth disclosing.

Is it possible to give an unbiased review after being fed with delicious canapes? I believe it is. I wouldn’t have given ‘Down to Earth’ so much space unless I genuinely thought you’d like the book. I’ve been completely honest about what I think of it, and I’ve also been specific about who would enjoy it.

Is there anything wrong with Down to Earth?

If you like lots of photos in your gardening books, you may want to see more pictures.

The photos are good, and are mainly taken by Monty and his wife, Sarah. But there aren’t very many of them. Personally, I didn’t need more photos, but some of you might.

But otherwise, the book is readable, accessible, informative and enjoyable. You can’t really say more than that.

Add Down to Earth to your Christmas list…

If you’re an amateur gardener, I think you’d enjoy Down to Earth.

I also think it would be an excellent house-warming present for anyone moving to a new house and starting afresh with their garden, especially if they’re new to gardening.

And, of course, Monty’s fans from Gardeners World will love it. It’s vintage Monty.

See Monty Don talk about his gardening philosophy in my video review here (although I do apologise for the sound, the editing…..):

The post Review: Monty Don’s new book ‘Down To Earth’ appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/review-monty-dons-new-book-down-to-earth/

Pride of Reading Awards: Humble wheelchair basketball coach is the heart and soul of the team

Jacqueline Scoins-Cass MBE could add a Pride of Reading Award to her trophy case after coaching her team to a number of wins

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/pride-reading-awards-humble-wheelchair-13726056

L'Ortolan and eight other Berkshire restaurants star in 2018 Michelin Guide

The prestigious Shinfield restaurant retained its coveted Michelin star for a 16th successive year

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/lortolan-eight-berkshire-restaurants-star-13720982

Berkshire pensioners needed to take part world's first NHS trial for a flu vaccine

The NHS is inviting people from Berkshire and Oxfordshire to trial the new vaccine

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-pensioners-needed-take-part-13714676

When is the tube strike? Everything you need to know about the London Underground walkout

Warnings for Berkshire commuters heading into the capital as staff strike over working hours

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/tube-strike-everything-you-need-13711292

Wokingham is getting a new family friendly café and bar as The Lounges prepares to open

The Lounges is opening its new venue Sedero Lounge in Wokingham town centre this October

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/wokingham-getting-new-family-friendly-13708135

Debbie McGee takes top spot on Strictly leaderboard, but some fans aren't happy

McGee impresses once again and soars to the top spot

from getreading - TV & Film http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/tv-film/debbie-mcgee-takes-top-spot-13703479

The Berkshire criminals locked up in September

Drug dealers, a dangerous driver and a terrorist sympathiser have all been jailed this month

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-criminals-locked-up-september-13693133

Police launch campaign to stop slavery after 120 cases in the Thames Valley in two years

Thames Valley Police has launched the Hidden Harm campaign to raise awareness of the crime

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/police-launch-campaign-stop-slavery-13689165

Coral Reef's new slides, a punch-up at a boxing event and more of getreading's most read stories of the week

Readers have been reading a wide range of stories this week

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/coral-reefs-new-slides-punch-13700289