River of no return

We must cherish sites of special interest, as any careless mistakes will be so damaging for our wildlife, says Val

- Val Bourne

I AM not a great lover of power tools, I have to admit, ladies! The only ones I really value are my electric lawnmower and my shredder. I don’t use leaf vacs or strimmers: they make a lot of horrible noise and do quite a lot of environmental damage. It may look as though you’re gardening, armed with one of those gadgets, but you’re not. Gardening is a nurturing activity, and not an exercise in neatness.

Much larger machines can really do some damage to the soil structure and the natural world. I often think back to a walk I took in my old village of Hook Norton in Oxfordshire, 20-odd years ago. It was a lovely April day that spoke of promise to come. I strolled across the river between Hooky and Swerford, through a short stretch of green lane that was a botanical hotspot in the parish. Campion and primroses lined the path and wild bluebells showed off their cobalt-blue blooms.