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In the news....

If you've ever wondered why compost manufacturers bother labelling it 'organic' (anyone know of any 'non-organic' compost?), or just how 'natural' sprays that kill bugs can be, you are not alone.

A survey by and consumer magazine this week found most people are confused by labels on apparently eco-friendly gardening products.

So they put the credentials of 14 'green' plant foods, pesticides and weedkillers to the test – and found much of what's on the labels is pure greenwash. Most manufacturers couldn't provide evidence for their claims, many of which, says Garden Organic, are completely meaningless. They're now calling for rules to be tightened post-haste.

Twelfth Night has come and gone, so the nation's Christmas trees have been evicted and are generally lying about forlornly wondering what's to become of them. If recycling means a (non-green) trip to the tip, there are - though shredding it for mulching blueberries is probably simplest. : you give them your tree, they give you a bag of mulch. Genius.

And lastly, congratulations to the , from Bristol (population: 433,100) to Great Whittington, Northumbria (population: around 200). Good luck to all.

Elsewhere on the web...

As regular readers will already know, Carol Klein's new ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ TV series following a year in her garden at Glebe Cottage in Devon began last night. Time-lapse photography, garlic, snowdrops and hedge-laying: who could ask for more.

If you missed it, catch up here – and to while away the wait till episode 2 (next Friday, 8.30pm, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ2), Carol's conversation with Jane Garvey on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4's Woman's Hour is a real treat and will make you feel a lot better about those tulip bulbs you haven't planted yet.

There's something about the beginning of a new year that sends us gardeners into reflective mood. has been taking comfort from Gilbert White's tortoise; recommends edible glitter for staving off the January blues, and is worrying – quite understandably – about being followed by a furniture manufacturer from Singapore. Sometimes has a lot to answer for.

Out and about...

In minimalist winter landscapes, perhaps frosted in ice or wreathed in mist, sculptures in the garden can be other-worldly. winter sculpture trail continues working its magic this month, placing a thought-provoking selection of art by British sculptors against a backdrop of winter loveliness.

Also unmissable are the legendary in St Ives, Cornwall, where iconic, monumental works in bronze, stone and wood are set in the garden where she created them; and the , an extraordinary blend of atmospheric planting and art in Surrey, open in winter by appointment only. On a grander scale, the near Wakefield currently has over 200 works by artist David Nash among its sweeping landscapes and spectacular views.

If you fancy having a go yourself, there's a at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's centre at Welney, Cambridgeshire next Saturday, with living willow weaver . Who knows: it could be the start of your own back yard sculpture collection.