The owner of the garden is Andrew Brogan who came to London from Ireland in the 1960s. He played in a band then worked in something to do with the stock exchange before his job was moved to Norwich.
He had slides showing all the work as it progressed, the small buildings all self built in timber, the huge amount of stone he brought in to build a sunken pathway. The latest addition in the last few years is a nursery so visitors can buy the plants they see. He had lots of humourous recollections of the people he has met along the way and it was all very interesting.
A few years ago one of the resolutions put forward at the WI national level was to highlight the problems of plastic 'soup' - that is micro plastic in the seas. Now according to last nights Countryfile programme nano plastic is now getting into our meat. Very small amounts of plastic are allowed in the feed products made for animals. It comes from the food producers - for instance biscuit factories who send all their unwanted or left over produce to feed manufacturers and although the process takes out the majority of the packaging a tiny amount gets through and into the pellets. Scientists believe that the plastic can be so small it will transfer from the animals gut into the meat we eat! Even more reason to cut down on meat eating and to try to eliminate all single use plastics.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Morning Sue. We watched Countryfile last night and were both appalled at the plastics in animal feed and, by extension, in what we eat. Horrifying in the first place that animals are forced to eat it, never mind us. It seems impossible for any of us to get rid of plastic consumption, however much we try.
ReplyDeleteIt needs some sort of incentive to the big manufacturers to try harder I think
DeleteThis makes me so angry! When will the so called 'experts' stop messing with nature? This may sound dramatic, but I despair of man and their 'tunnel vision' when it comes to making a profit.
ReplyDeleteIt's good that factory waste goes to make animal feed just a pity they can't take out the wrapping first
DeleteMust admit, plastic within our food is a bit of a shock. Knew it was in some bottled water.
ReplyDeleteSeems it's everywhere nowadays
DeleteHaven't yet caught up with countryfile. Interested in Henstead. We visited the sculpture trail at Raveningham last week, which isn't far from there (should have contacted you first in case we were near enough to meet up with you - but it was a last-minute thing)
ReplyDeleteSo sad that we are destroying our planet. Interesting quote I read yesterday, they asked the question "which extinct creature would you bring back if you could?" and the response was "what it gone is gone. I must focus all my efforts in keeping what we have left!"
Had to look up Raveningham - I don't know much about Norfolk villages due to needing a passport for crossing the border!! Quite a long way from me I think.
DeleteI've never lost any sleep over not seeing a dodo.
ReplyDeleteKeeps me awake every night - worrying about dodos!!
DeleteA very interesting Country File yesterday. So many people do not realize how much they buy that is not necessary and has plastic in it,
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
So much plastic is useful that I suppose we've just let it be used for everything, never thinking about harmful effects
DeleteThat garden looks interesting. Wish I could walk well enough to walk round such places.
ReplyDeleteAs for plastic - I despair of the state of our oceans. I do what I can but of course it is nowhere enough even if we all do it - it is the big manufacturers who need to step up such work.
The garden certainly is a labour of love for the owner but lots of steps and twisting paths.
DeleteThe manufacturers are only interested in the money so they need some incentive to change
It seems we can't escape plastic whatever we do. I eat mostly chicken (and fish) at the moment, but chicken is full of whatever it's been fed/had injected into it, so unless you pay megabucks for organic free range, it's difficult to avoid that. Even vegetables are sprayed with so many pestacides - clean food (unless you grow it yourself) is difficult.
ReplyDeleteDo you think you will visit that Exotic garden now? Sounds like a real labour of love.
I think the WI might visit that garden next year. I might go on my own sometime
DeleteThat garden looks like the kind of place I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHe had some lovely slides of all the interesting plants - amazing amount of work
DeleteRegarding micro plastic. Sometimes on the beach near out house here in Hawaii, there is a line of "plastic sand" along the high tide line. It is plastic in the ocean that is breaking down into tiny bits. The sea birds and the fish eat this plastic thinking its food. The Sea birds will also feed it to their babies.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about "micro plastic" and now I will need to do some research into this problem.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
You do get good value for money from your membership. Our WI does not meet for July or August!
ReplyDelete