Month: August 2017

Letters: Don’t let greed destroy our precious public services

Dear Editor

Every day all over the UK people get prepared to go to work; it is a necessity to earn an income to sustain themselves and those who depend on them. Whether they work as part of a team or as an individual, production or management, they all work. The only exception to this, in the main, are people or organisations who have money to invest to make more money out of those who do work.

People need many essential services to carry on with their lives. At home: electricity, gas, water and sewerage. To get to their place of work they need passenger transport : bus, tram, rail, etc. – yet most of these services are privately owned, a veritable goldmine for those who are able to invest.

All of the services mentioned above relate to just work, but work is not all in life: they have a direct effect on our ability to have social and leisure time, visiting family and friends, taking part in sport, shopping or enjoying the countryside:, in fact, living.

All of these services must be operated for the benefit of all.

How can it be right that the extraction of millions and millions of pounds from those services are taken by investors? It is greedy and immoral and cannot be justified in any way.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

Community Works: Port of Leith launches new employability service

Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has set up a new employability service, Community Works, which will support people over the age of 16 living in Leith and North Edinburgh who are looking for work or seeking to develop their careers. Continue reading Community Works: Port of Leith launches new employability service

August garden plant of the month: Gentian

Vivid blue
There are a lot of remarkable characters amongst the perennials, but the Garden Plant of the Month for August is very special. With its intense blue colouring and beautiful bell-shaped flowers, Gentian (Gentiana) reminds us of its natural home in Alpine meadows. The Gentian range has developed considerably, and there are now white, pink, blue and bicoloured varieties. A beautiful perennial to use in pots or in rockeries or borders. It will certainly catch the eye as is pretty as a picture!
Gentian
The current Gentian range offers compact growth and rich continued flowering. These plants look their best between July and October. The colour blue in particular has been extensively developed in the Gentian range. There are sky blue, pale and dark blue and indigo varieties. The Gentian originates from the temperate mountain regions in the northern hemisphere and the Andes. The name Gentian derives from Gentius, King of Illyria (former Yugoslavia) who is said to have discovered the healing properties attributed to Gentian, such as strengthening the digestive and immune systems and the ability to reduce bile.
Caring for Gentians
Gentian likes the spot with full sun to partial shade. The plant does have special requirements with regard to the soil. Moisture-retaining, somewhat poor soil is important, since that’s what the plant has in the mountains where it grows. Many species also require somewhat chalky and well-draining soil. It’s easy to make a mixture of sand, clay, potting soil and gravel to use for Gentians in pots. In autumn and winter make sure that the soil is not saturated with water when the frost comes. You should therefore cover Gentians, but make sure that the soil is well-ventilated.
Tips for keeping Gentians
The best thing is to do nothing! Gentians are very hardy, and will die back above ground and hibernate below ground. It’s important to leave the plant alone to keep it healthy and lavishly flowering. So don’t divide or replant it, but leave it where it is. Give the plant some fertiliser in the spring to promote flowering and you’ll be able enjoy these remarkable plants for years.
More information about Gentian and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

Scottish SPCA appeals for volunteers: Help animals in need

The Scottish SPCA is appealing to animal lovers in Edinburgh to help animals in their care by donating prizes for their Scottish Animal Week open day raffle!

Scotland’s animal welfare charity is hosting open days at their centres throughout Scotland on 10 September to encourage the public to come along to meet the animals who are in their care.

Centre Manager Diane Aitchison is appealing for kind hearted locals to donate.

Diane said, “We’re looking forward to the open day and we’re hoping it’ll encourage people to rehome an animal! We’ll be running different events on the day and would really appreciate any donations for the raffle. The money raised on the day will help the abused, abandoned and injured animals who are in the care of the centre.

“As an animal welfare charity we receive no government or lottery funding so we rely entirely on the support of the public.”

Donations can be handed into the centre in Balerno which is located on Mansfield Road.

For more information on Scottish SPCA fundraising events please email fundraising@scottishspca.org or call fundraising on 03000 999 999 (option 4).