When will winter 2012 really bite?

It suggested that in December we will have the worst snow for the last 100 years.

I will tell you in this column in January 2013!

I’m old enough to remember working or trying to work in January 1963 when the Lancashire Telegraph photographers were busy recording the chaos!

If this happens how will wildlife cope?

The answer is that they will because Nature is at its best in adversity.

The bird life will suffer but this is the way that populations of wildlife are balanced.

If all creatures continue to increase in numbers there would be no room left on the planet! Most of us, however, want to help our animals in bad weather.

In cold spells do feed the birds but also remember that they also need water.

At the same time that you provide food, also provide water if their normal supplies are frozen.

The same applies in hot summers and you should remember this if we ever get another!

This is the time that we have to decide what to feed and what not to feed our birds.

Do not give them dry uncooked rice or dry cereal. Cooked rice left over or cereal with a little milk added is fine. If you want to attract a variety of birds then provide a selection of food.

Old bacon rind, bits of fruit cake and soft fruit is fine.

Peanuts are a real treat for them but these should not be salted. They love grapes and raisins.

One final word. Try to feed birds where cats need to climb a bit to catch them. The birds can then get plenty of warning.

Keep feeding the birds every day and they will get used to this.

Ash tree far from doomed

LANCASHIRE Telegraph readers have asked me two questions.

Firstly, how do we recognise an Ash tree in winter? Secondly, will all our Ash trees die with the dieback disease?

The Ash tree is our only species which has Black Buds and these buds are easily seen in winter. Will all our ash trees die? The answer to this is a resounding No!

I have friends in Denmark and they tell me that 90 per cent of their trees have died.

The other 10 per cent are resistent to the disease and the scientists there are cloning these with resistance and planting them. Here in Britain we will have to do the same.

Not long ago, there was a similar disease which affected the Elm.

At the time there were dramatic photographs taken which focused attention on Dutch Elm disease. We must also be aware that the Danish Ash disease has to be national news.

The Elm trees with immunity are now increasing slowly and the same will eventually happen to the Ash.

From an East Lancashire perspective we should be worried because we do have lots of Ash trees.

It will be sad to see so many die.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope because some will be immune and once the new trees have been grown from seedlings the children of the next few years can be encouraged to take part in Ash planting projects.

Foxglove is my plant of the year

After the summer we have just had — what summer? — it has been hard to think of sunshine and pretty flowers.

In the end I decided on the foxglove as my plant of 2012 because its flowers stay open even during heavy rain!

There is a golden rule in herbal medicine and that is that using the correct dose is vital or the patient will be killed and not cured.

The drug digitalis contained in the foxglove is still used in the treatment of heart diseases but must be administered by a skilled doctor. The plant, with its distinctive bell-like flowers, is common all over Britain. In addition to digitalis all the foxglove’s organs contain dangerous cardiac glycosides which cause pains in the chest and abdomen nausea and diarrhoea.

Digitalis slows down the beat of a normal heart and increases the strength of the beat to such an extent that if care is not taken can prove fatal.

The old country name of Devil Bells is a good one but the plant looks beautiful.

Bees love the nectar inside it and I love seeing strands of it in the rain.

This is why my plant of 2012 is without doubt the foxglove.