If environmental anxiety grows when you think about the impact of your big day, there are simple steps to make your wedding more eco-conscious

Go paperless

A simple way to cut your carbon footprint, and potentially save money, is to go digital with your wedding communications – a temporary website to house all information for guests, and gather RSVPs, can make life a little more simple for you, and save on print and postage emissions.

Get vendors on board

You might want to choose suppliers based on their eco values, or have detailed discussions with them about adapting things to be more environmentally-friendly. Remember, sticking with local produce (flowers, food etc.) can be a big help, as well as discussing disposal/waste for afterwards – could leftover food be given to a local shelter?

Travel

Naturally, a destination wedding that requires flights for a large entourage is going to be less eco-friendly, while choosing a venue more local to the majority of your guests could minimise additional travel. Some venues are able to have the ceremony and reception all on site, which can save travelling between places during the day, or where this isn’t avoidable, could you encourage a carpool system for guests? I once went to a wedding with a double decker bus transporting attendees between destinations!

Sustainable favours

Something simple like packets of seeds can be a lovely long-term gift that keeps giving, as guests can be reminded of you and your special day when tending to the flower! Another option might be to make a charitable donation, or plant a tree for every guest.

Reuse and repurpose

From Facebook Marketplace to Still White, Depop, Ebay, Vinted, and good old charity shops, there are so many places where you can find pre-loved treasures to add a special touch to your day. You might pick up a wedding dress that’s only been worn for a few hours for a fraction of the price, or find pristine decor for your reception tables. Plus, opting to rent suits, bridesmaids dresses, or encouraging guests to rewear something from their wardrobe, can be a fun way to encourage everyone to get involved in your green purpose. They don’t say ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ for no reason!

Jewellery

And speaking of borrowed, could you wear an item of family jewellery with sentimental value rather than buying something for the big day? Or consider exploring sustainable diamonds, which are lab grown so you know the Earth wasn’t harmed with mining activities, and there is no risk of conflict trade in their creation.

Give back with gifts

Their company may be the only gift you desire, but friends and family often want to share their love with something special for you as well. But rather than a physical wishlist, you could suggest people make donations on your behalf to a list of charities that are close to your heart.

Organising a big life event is stressful enough, so just know that you aren’t expected to ‘do it all’. Even trying just a few of these ideas, or any other sustainable suggestions you come across, is a great start – know that every little bit helps

Indulge your senses and embrace the outdoors with these four, fun summer flower crafts that everyone can enjoy

Nature bursts to life in summer, and is abundant with colour, texture, and fragrance – a sensory delight. We can harness this power to awaken all our senses through crafting with flowers, and children will love to join in!

Here, we look at four beautiful, summer flower crafts that celebrate the season, and make the most of fallen flowers.

Secret Messages

Did you know that you can write secret messages with dandelions? The trick is that dandelion stems contain sap. This is clear while it’s wet, but turns brown when it dries, so you can use it to write secret messages.

You will need:

• A dandelion
• A piece of paper

Method:

1. Pick a dandelion flower at the base of the stalk, where it meets the plant. You should be able to see sap at the end of the stem.
2. Hold the stalk like a pencil, and use the sap end to write your message on a piece of paper.
3. If your sap runs out, snap a little bit of the stem off. The new end will have more sap on it.
4. Your paper will look blank at first, but once the sap dries your message will be revealed!

Flower crowns

Flower crowns are a thing of beauty, and as lovely to wear as they are fun to make.

You will need:

• Flowers with long stems
• Leafy foliage, such as ivy
• A pre-made natural willow twig wreath (optional)

Method:

1. Start with two long-stemmed flowers. Give them a dip in fresh water so they will last longer. Make a slit in the stem of one with your thumbnail, and thread the other stem through.
2. Keep threading through foliage or flowers until you have a piece that’s long enough to fit around your head, then knot or twist the ends together to make a circle.
3. Once you have your basic circle, you can weave more flowers, leaves, and treasures of nature into it.
4. For an easier flower crown, use a pre-made natural willow twig wreath, and simply tuck your flowers and foliage into it.

Hapa Zome

Hapa Zome is a traditional Japanese art of ‘bashing’ flowers and leaves into fabric, so thei

Cultivating your own compost not only benefits your garden with a homegrown, nutrient-rich mix, but ensures you’re recycling as much of your household waste as possible

You want a good balance of materials to ensure your compost breaks down effectively – roughly 25–50% soft green waste, and the rest from brown items. Here, we’ll dig into the specifics to help you craft the perfect compost pile.

Do include:

• Black and white newspaper
or plain paper.
• Green items, such as grass clippings, young weeds, and nettles without the root.
• Brown materials, like dead leaves, cardboard, wood chips.
• Household waste vegetable food scraps, such as potato peels, coffee grounds, and egg shells (the latter if they are washed thoroughly first).
• Manure from cows or horses can also be used.

Don't include:

• Coloured newspaper, magazines, or brochures.
• Food scraps containing any animal product, such as meat, fat, or dairy.
• Weeds, such as dandelions or thistle, or those with seed heads.
• Diseased garden waste, as this could spread to the rest of your plants when used.
• Dog poo, cat litter, or babies’ nappies.
• Plastics, glass, or metal.

Top tips:

1. Too many ‘green’ items, which typically contain a lot of water, can make your compost pile liquidy, so balance things out with straw, or cardboard to add some more dense structure.
2. Chop up items prior to adding them to the pile, to help them degrade more quickly.
3. ‘Turn the heap’ to aerate it, which speeds up the composting process as well – ideally you want to do this every month. This helps prevent your compost pile from becoming too wet or compacted.
4. If your pile is getting a bit pungent, it’s likely that there’s too much water involved, and not enough air. Try adding more of the brown waste to help the balance of materials, and turn it more frequently.

When is it ready?

The end result should feel, look, and smell like rich, earthy soil. If you can still identify the various items you’ve mixed into the compost, that’s a sign it’s not quite ready yet as not everything has decomposed fully. Usually, your compost pile will end up about half the size of what you added in originally, which can serve as a helpful visual gauge.

When your pile does reach that pinnacle of decomposition, it’s ready to work its nutrient-rich magic on your flower beds. For the best results, spread the compost across your garden about two to four weeks before you plan on planting anything new, to allow it time to integrate with the existing soil. Plant perfection!