HOME & GARDEN

lilyblanche.com

Kashan remix red rug £1014

mineheart.com

Lambswool oversized scarf in magenta gingham £49

tartanblanketco.com The red rose impressonist flowers fine art print £41.95

abstracthouse. com

Jack 3 Seat Sofa In Jack Wills Red Velvet, £599, Jack Armchair In Jack Wills Red Velvet,

£299 sofa.com

Elvang manhattan square cushion cover - Bordeaux & red £41.95

naken.co.uk Trio lampshade crimson red £30

diy.com

Viva Magenta

Firework Red Star Lantern £16.95

paperstarlights.com

Organic cotton faces rug £149

cielshop interiors.com It’s official - Pantone have announced that their pick for COTY 2023 is Viva Magenta! This is a shade deeply rooted in nature, descending from the red family and expressing a new signal of strength. his vivid colour is described as being both powerful and empowering as a new animated hue that revels in pure unapologetic joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint. We absolutely adore this shade, and to help you get inspired we’ve gathered a selection of images from our clients to help you embrace this electrifying statement colour in the New Year.

Helen Moore Diana collar crimson £45

DIGGING DEEP

Recycle responsibly

For a few weeks it is at the centre of our celebrations – decked out in baubles and bling, it’s somewhere to pile gifts underneath, and an object of desire for those homes who have resident puddy-tats!

Lots of effort goes into choosing ‘the one’ when it comes to our Christmas tree, and we spend ages decorating it, and giving it pride of place during the festive season.

And then? January hits and it’s out with the old and in with the new, and that includes the tree.

If you want to enjoy a real tree, you should act responsibly when Christmas is over, too.

You definitely don’t want to throw it out with the household waste and expect refuse collectors to deal with it. The last thing you want to do is send it off to landfill.

If you opt for a tree with its roots attached, it is possible to replant it. In fact, some tree nurseries will even take them back for another year, and then the same tree can spend Christmas with you in another 12 months. How cool is that?

But if you can’t replant your leafy pal, there are still plenty of ways to be environmentally sound.

Real trees are biodegradable and will rot away in a year or two without any assistance, save for initially cutting it into small pieces. Then pile the pieces up in the garden in a shaded area and let it do its thing.

It will be out of your way and, rather than add to the environmental burden, as it slowly decomposes the tree will be used for food and shelter by many insects and wildlife. If you have a little space in your garden to do this, Another way to take care of your Christmas tree is to hand the responsibility to Willen Hospice!

Their recycling initiative has proven a hit in recent years and it supports the fabulous work of the hospice.

In 2023, they will be collecting from the postcodes MK1-MK19, MK43, MK46 and LU7 between January 6 and 8.

You book your collection online and leave a minimum donation of £10 – the charity receives no money from recycling the trees.

All decorations need to be removed, and the tree needs to be outside your property by 8am on January 6 – all collections should be complete by January 9.

If you have a particularly large tree that is 8ft or more in height, do be sure to mention that when you book your slot. Bookings close at midnight on January 4. The trees will be transported to dedicated sites where they will be chipped and recycled as mulch for use on public land, Parks Trust land and farms in the area.

the soil will be improved by its arrival too, so it really is a win-win.

Other ways to be smart and sustainable?

If your tree isn’t so big, why not pop it in a heavy, stable pot that won’t be at the mercy of any winds, and replace your festive trinkets with bird feed balls and treats?

Food is scarce for birds during the harsh months of winter; they will welcome the food source and your garden will become a hot spot for our feathered friends – watching them from the warmth of your home is a fantastic way to decompress and appreciate nature.

You’ll have your own live version of Winter Watch! The only thing missing will be Chris Packham, sadly. You’ll even get to identify individual birds and will see their different personalities. And we write from experience.

It’s a great way to encourage children to take an interest in nature too, and they will enjoy making simple fat balls and seeded treats – a quick google will give you lots of ideas.

Apples and pears that are bruised or past their best can also be hung and will be welcomed by little beaks.

Start a log pile in a corner of your garden with your old Christmas trees and create a haven for insects and wildlife

Pic: Flickr

Top Tip...

Fresh rhubarb from the garden... do you take yours stewed with custard, or cooked into a yummy crumble?

Rhubarb crops over a long period, and can flourish in all types of garden soil.

Now is the time to plant dormant crowns, but fight the temptation to harvest during the first year – pick from year two, and always leave more than you take, to encourage active growth.

The leaves are suitable for composting, but are absolutely not edible – they are toxic.

Oh, and while we all consider the tasty stalks to be a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable!

Recycle your Christmas tree with Willen Hospice

> To book, visit willen-hospice.org.uk and click the news tab to follow the link.

T&K Home Improvements offer a range of environmentally sourced and produced products for your home

Making the world a better home

T&K Home Improvments are leading the way with their approach to offer customers environmentally sourced and produced products.

Aforward-thinking approach to increasing sustainability is at the heart of an ongoing mission at T&K Home Improvements to be a leading competitor in their industry.

This approach to business means while products and services are still affordable, it is not at the expense of the environment.

The business, which celebrates its 44th anniversary in 2023, works hard to find innovative solutions and build partnerships with other companies who share similar ethics to ensure sustainability for their products and customers for many years to come.

A lot of hard work and determination means the business can now boast CHAS, SMAS & Constructionline Gold Accreditations. In addition, the highly coveted Environmental Management System Standards, ISO 14001 has been awarded year after year. These standards reflect the importance the business puts on health and safety and sustainability working practices.

The ISO 14001 is also held by leading glass manufacturer Saint Gobain, one of T&K’s trusted partners. The framework follows a cycle – plan, do, check, act which allows businesses to drive continual improvement and achieve environmental goals. Saint Gobain’s commitments includes a decision to manufacture and supply glass to only UKbased businesses helping to reduce transport emissions and air miles.

Another partner is Veka, a specialist in recycling materials. Old windows and doors are too valuable to be taken to the landfill site. Instead, materials like aluminium and glass are recycled and an environmentally-process turns the uPVC into pellets which can be used to create high quality doors and windows.

Not only do they look good but improvements in thermal efficiency improve heat retention and lower fuel costs.

The same approach to sustainability, which is not a recent decision, is reflected in T&K’s operations. Solar panels, installed more than 20 years ago, continue to power the factories and have saved over 16,000,000 million plus air miles and counting.

Adrian Timbers, Sales and Marketing Manager, said: “It’s important to take a step back and look at how our long-term plans and processes are having an impact. It’s easy to get immersed in the dayto-day running of the business without looking at it from another perspective, we are always looking to put the customer and the planet at the heart of what we do and like to take a step back to ensure we are continuing to do so.”

In the last year there has been a £1 million investment to fund four new fuel-efficient Volvo FM Rigid trucks with five more on order. These trucks meet the latest Euro 6 emission standards with aerodynamics capable of improving by fuel efficiency by 50 per cent compared to previous models.

Other projects include the Wellingboroughbased production facilities undergoing a complete facelift. This includes the replacement of old toilet systems and hand dryers which again reduce consumption by up to 50 per cent.

Adrian said: “T&K is committed to taking a proactive approach. We want to maximise what we can do to help make the home improvement sector more sustainable and will continuously look for new ways to try to improve this for years to come. This is our commitment to customers and in return we hope they have the confidence to see the value of taking the decision to improve their home with a company that cares.” We want to maximise what we can do to help make the home improvement sector more sustainable” – Adrian Timbers, Sales and Marketing Manager at T&K Home Improvements

T&K Home Improvements is a family run business that has provided quality windows, doors and conservatories since 1979 in Northamptonshire and the surrounding areas. To find out more about high performance energy efficient glazing options and how much you can save visit our website: www.tkhi.co.uk

T&K guarantees the work unconditionally for ten years with the fitting undertaken by the familyrun company’s team of experienced fitters.

Take a look behind the scenes - sign up for a free tour of the Wellingborough factory to see first hand just how much work goes in to creating your doors, windows and conservatories. To find out more scan the QR code >>