The AnswerBank Articles

Is it true that burglaries shoot up over the Christmas period

A. On average burglaries rise over the weeks immediately before and after Christmas by over 20 per cent, according to Home Office statistics, with over 70,000 of us liable to be the victims of00:00 Fri 21st Dec 2001

What is the Government s Starter Homes Initiative

A. It is a scheme, initially worth 250 million over three years, to help key public sector workers get onto the housing in property hot spots. Q. Why has it been introduced A. The continuing00:00 Thu 20th Dec 2001

Is snow a bad thing for the garden

A. It all depends. It is certainly preferable to the days and days of torrential rain we have endured over the last couple of winters and it makes the garden look extremely beautiful while it lasts.00:00 Thu 20th Dec 2001

What are Tree Preservation Orders

A. It is an order made by the local authority that prohibits the chopping down, lopping or wilful damage of a tree that is considered in some way important to the local environment. The orders, or00:00 Thu 20th Dec 2001

What are the origins of the toilet

A. It is said that King Minos of Greece had the first flushing toilet 2,800 years ago, but it was the Romans who first built latrines (holes in the round) over running water to carry waste away and00:00 Fri 14th Dec 2001

What are bible gardens

A. In their strictest sense they are gardens planted with plants and species mentioned in the bible. However, there are no hard and fast rules. You could base it on plants from the Holy Land,00:00 Fri 14th Dec 2001

Isn t buying gardening gifts for Christmas a bit dull

A. Not at all. Gone are the days you were restricted to a pot plant or tools, not to say they are no longer welcome, far from it Nowadays there are literally thousands of specialist gifts for the00:00 Fri 14th Dec 2001

Is Christmas a safe or dangerous time in the home

A. The Christmas festivities have casualty departments working overtime throughout the country, and we're not just talking about the consequences of too much alcohol and general over-indulgence. 00:00 Fri 07th Dec 2001

Do people really like getting DIY equipment for Christmas or are they the ultimate naff present

A. That depends which poll or survey you read. DIY gifts recently ranked fourth in men's most unwanted gift top five, just behind handkerchiefs and socks. Apparently non-DIY enthusiasts see them as00:00 Fri 07th Dec 2001

Is it environmentally unfriendly to buy a cut Christmas tree

A. That depends who you listen to. Some environmentalists don't like the mass plantations of firs and spruces as none of the varieties grown for the Christmas market are native to the British Isles.00:00 Fri 07th Dec 2001

Most gardens look blank and gloomy in winter. How can we inject a bit of colour

A. It's true that most of us garden to enjoy it during the warmer months when we're going to spend most time outside. But this is a pity, because as well as being bracing, the winter garden can00:00 Fri 30th Nov 2001

December is a pretty cold and dreary month outside. Time for a bit of armchair gardening

A. If you've got all the seed and spring bulb catalogues to hand and the weather's grim this is certainly the best time to sit in front of the fire and start looking forward to next year. Before00:00 Fri 30th Nov 2001

According to tradition when should you put up the Christmas decorations

A. The tradition of yesteryear was to wait until Christmas Eve, but try telling that to the kids. Unless you really can't wait it is best to wait until at least a fortnight before the main event. 00:00 Fri 30th Nov 2001

When people refer to winter vegetables are they talking about veg that should be planted now

A. No, they're talking about vegetables that grow on and can be harvested through the cold winter months. However, if you live in mild southern areas so far unaffected by frost you could just00:00 Fri 23rd Nov 2001

What are the advantages of having a greenhouse

A. For the keen gardener, greenhouses allow the business of gardening to carry on all year round. When the weather is wet and cold outside you can be just as productive inside. There are all sorts00:00 Fri 23rd Nov 2001

Is it true that rat and mice infestations are on the up

A. I'm afraid so. The mild winters of recent years have meant that the rodents continue breeding longer. The rat population is growing rapidly and is estimated to be over 70 million while the mouse00:00 Fri 23rd Nov 2001

It is often said we are a nation of gardeners, but how many people in this country don t have access to a garden

A. It is estimated that up to 10 million of us Brits are gardenless, the majority, but by no means all in urban, built up areas. Q. So what can you do if you like the idea of gardening but00:00 Fri 16th Nov 2001

You hear a lot about disputes between neighbours these days. Are they on the up and how common a problem is it

A. The number of recorded complaints about the behaviour of neighbours has been rising steadily in recent years. When introducing legislation to outlaw anti-social behaviour recently the Government00:00 Fri 16th Nov 2001

How much is the garden centre industry worth each year

A. The latest figures suggest that British gardeners now spend 2 billion at garden centres and nurseries every year. Q. When did we first start buying and selling plants A. Although they were00:00 Fri 16th Nov 2001

How can we help wildlife in the garden this winter

A. There are essentially two types of wildlife that we can lend a helping hand to in the garden this winter, birds seeking food and other creatures looking for a snug and secure place to bed down00:00 Wed 07th Nov 2001