The UK is known throughout the world as a country with vast expanses of natural countryside and rural pastimes. There are around 60 million acres of land across Britain, which traditionally has been owned by a very small percentage of the population.

In more recent years, however, investors have begun to see land as more of an investment opportunity. As the need for new homes increases and people regularly seek out new outdoors leisure activities, land becomes more of a financial asset.

Owners can receive a very high return on investment if they have a desirable piece of land, particularly if the land can be developed upon with planning permission. Here are some of the main ways in which land is used in the UK today:

Farming and Agriculture 

While traditional British farming has struggled over the past decade, a number of new trends are emerging that could see farmers looking to buy more land in the future.

Many farm owners are showing an interest in expanding their farms to offer other services to the public such as horse riding and camping. There is also an increase in the amount of specialist farms that need new land to be developed upon – ostrich and llama farms are sprouting up across the UK.

Leisure and Sports

There are many hobbies that are perfect for the outdoors. Horse riding, walking and cycling are all popular outdoor pursuits, while more adventurous activities such as archery or quad biking are becoming increasingly in demand.

Wooded areas are more frequently being bought for paintballing, which is now one of the most popular alternative activities for people celebrating birthdays or stag parties.

A lot of land in the UK is also used as caravan and camping sites. Locations near the sea or other tourist spots have a particularly high volume of campsites and often make a lot of money during the summer.

Commercial 

One of the most common uses for land in the UK is for the development of new homes or offices. Land for this purpose can be very expensive to buy, but because of the ever-increasing need for new houses, owning building land can be incredibly profitable.

Some investors choose to look for land for sale that does not currently have planning permission on it. This land may be relatively useless for development now, but land investors are presuming that the demand in future years will mean that local councils will be forced to make the land available for development. Because of the much lower price of this land, owners of this land could find themselves with enormous returns on investment.

As well as homes and business space, a lot of land in the UK is currently being bought for the use of eco-friendly energy supply such as wind farms. This type of land will also become more and more desirable as time passes due to the ever increasing pressure on the public, governments and pretty much everyone else to become a more environmentally friendly nation.

If you’ve been thinking about “going green” you are not alone. People all over the world are working toward doing their part to help the environment. The good news is that there are many benefits that come with being green and eco-friendly. One is cleaner air, which is very important.

We’re going to take a look at just how important clean air is in your home as well as give you two different ways you can filter the air – technology and nature. By the time you’re done reading, you should have a very good idea of ways you can clean up the air you breathe.

Is Clean Air in Your Home Important?

You can go a while without food or water if needed, but one thing your life depends on at all times is oxygen in the air. The problem in the modern world is that a lot of pollutants exist in the air we breathe. If you have a newer, air tight home this may be a bigger problem than you think.

Even older homes have problems with air quality. The problem is that when you breathe in these irritants you’re not getting enough oxygen as you could or should with clean, fresh air. As you might imagine, this can cause quite a few problems.

Using Technology to Clean Your Air

If you don’t want the hassle and maintenance of living plants, many different filtration systems exist that will help you keep the air fresher in your home. Here are some of the options you’re going to have.

• Air Filters – These are typically smaller units that use some type of filter to clean the air around it. HEPA filters are recommended to remove more pollutants from the air as it is cycled through the machine.

• Air Purifiers – These are usually larger machines that may use more than a single filter or mechanism to purify the air. Because of their size, they are generally able to filter and freshen more air. Again, HEPA filters are recommended.

Whether you go small or large is going to depend on the size of the room or house you’re trying to purify. Cost is another factor, but many companies offer sales and discounts where you can pick up high-quality equipment at really reasonable prices. Having a professional install your air purifier is a good idea in some cases.

Air Filtration with Natural Plants

If you have pets or toddlers in your home, you should check each of these plants for the toxicity to animals or children before you add them to the mix. With that aside, here are some great ideas for plants that will help filter the air in your home.

• Areca Palm produces quite a bit of oxygen during the day. Each person in your household should have four plants about shoulder height.

• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, on the other hand, produces oxygen during the night, which makes it a great choice for the bedroom. You should have around seven waist high plants for each person breathing the air in your home.

• Money Plant removes formaldehyde and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from the air you breathe in your home – or at the office.

The three plants listed above are not the only ones that will help filter your air, but they are the most common ones people tend to use. Remember that the size of the plant is important if you want to make sure you’re actually filtering and clearing the air of pollutants.

A few other plants you might consider are the purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternataa), english ivy (Hedera Helix), the asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus) and the purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida).

Grow Fresh Air in Your Home?

Whether you go with technology or nature, in the modern world you want to seriously consider putting some system in place so that you can breathe the freshest air possible when you’re in your home. Thanks to science and modern technology, a lot of different options are available for filtering the air in your house – or any other enclosed space where you spend a lot of time.

If you’re interested in growing fresh air in your home, now is one of the best times to do something. No matter which way you lean – natural or mechanical – making sure you have a way to filter the air in your house is more important now than ever before. The sooner you act, the quicker you’ll be able to reap the benefits of breathing fresh air.

Many people think so and they are having a good go at it too!

What is urban farming?  Urban farming is simply an area of urban land which is suitable to house animals or grow vegetation. Mostly the vegetation is grown in hydroponics unless the urban farmers change the soil themselves every few weeks, non-hydroponic urban farming is becoming very popular especially with people living in tower flats using their roofs as gardens.

The reason why urban farming is causing waves is that it’s changing the views on what organic farming is and what it could be in the future.

Bringing Added Purpose Back To The Cities

It means that places we thought had no real use and are at present eyesores could actually serve a purpose again with minimal financial investment. The only thing needed is humans, animals, plants and some attention.

But now the ball has got rolling and scientists are gaining interest. Their focus is aimed at micro-crops and they have found that these micro-crops hold more nutrients than their larger counterparts, but only take a fraction of the space needed.

Now some cities are devising ways in which well-structured flats could serve as urban farms instead of being knocked down, they are also introducing sheep and goat mowing instead of using the regular lawn mowers. This means that the council landscapers are able to tackle the more difficult jobs while the goats and sheep take care of the grass.

The goat and sheep poo will go into city compost along with some of the vegetation they won’t eat to serve as compost for the rooftop gardens. Maybe one day cities will be able to provide restaurants and shops with their produce right from the rooftops themselves but for now urban farming in the city is a small but utopic movement.

Chickens, The Farmers Of The Future

Let’s take our view out of the city and into the outskirts and towns. With more land comes more potential. So we know where the goats and sheep will be munching. On the sports field, village parks and maybe even some resident’s gardens, the possibilities are of many.

We haven’t talked about birds in the cities especially the beloved chicken, because as everyone knows they make a lot of noise and they do have a habit of taking flight for a few seconds and no one wants to be shovelling dead chickens from pavements. But in towns chickens can be used as efficient mini farmers themselves.

Chickens love to scratch and peck around, in some places there can be quite hard soil and for the older members of our population it can be frustrating when their bodies just can’t do the job. Why not hire chickens to dig it up for you? Sounds crazy but it has been put to task and in many urban farming plots in Australia the chickens have done just that and more.

A farmer creates temporary “chicken tunnels” which only allows chickens access to the ground that needs dug up. So while the chickens run about peck and dig the ground is getting evenly levelled and turned up. What’s best about it is the only thing it costs is time.

The fencing can be unlinked and neatly rolled back ready for use on the next garden.  So there you have it, chickens are no longer a dinner plate special but our own little brigade of diggers. Not only can they dig but they can be trained to target out slugs that are a natural bane of all farmers. This would eliminate a lot of need for slug pellets which are frequently consumed by other wildlife which can lead to the detriment of essential fauna.

It’s supposed to be one of your best friends in the garden, so piling it on makes sense. If a little works well, why not spread it on thick? You naturally assume that it’s good for everything from the trees to the flower beds. Mulch plays a part in keeping your yard healthy, but it has its limits. Here are four common misconceptions about its importance to your landscape.

1. Mulch isn’t a fertilizer. The most common types of mulch are a mix of organic and inorganic materials. While a reasonable application in the garden discourages weeds, it’s not a substitute for the kind of nutrients your garden needs.

Its consistency makes it prone to packing when repeatedly applied over the course of a growing season, and this leads to fungal problems that can damage your plants. A mulch that’s completely organic is beneficial to your flower beds, but don’t expect it to do the same job as a good fertilizer.

2. Mulch doesn’t keep your plants warm. That blanket of material that you pack around the tree trunks and spread in the garden doesn’t have any insulating value. It does present a hazard to your plants because a thick layer traps moisture and creates a winter home for pests and disease.

The colder months are hard on your flower beds, but a heavy mulch application only increases the chance of root rot. A good rule of green thumb is to never let the mulch touch your plants or the base of trees. They need room to breathe, especially during the winter.

3. Mulch won’t guarantee that your garden retains moisture. Its density works against you when you assume that you’re adding a protective layer to your flower beds. The mulch looks nice and wet after regular watering or a good rain, but it keeps moisture from penetrating deep into the soil.

Your plants will develop new feeder roots that grow up into the wet layer above ground. Without a healthy underground system, flowers and shrubs loose the anchors that give them natural stability. Heavy mulching around trees actually sheds water away from their bases and leaves the soil directly under them dry.

4. Mulch isn’t meant to decorate the yard. Wood mulches have become popular because they come in a variety of colors that brighten up the landscape. However, this material is high in carbon, and it pulls nitrogen out of your soil.

Wood mulch lasts longer than its traditional cousin, but that just gives it more time to steal nutrients from your garden bed. However, this type of mulch is ideal for starving weeds around sidewalks and driveways. Enjoy the color, but use it sparingly unless you want to smother a problem plant.

Do a little groundwork before you decide on the best choices for your landscape. Talk with your nurseryman so you can play matchmaker between the right mulch and your garden. Most importantly, take it easy because a little mulch goes a long way towards beautiful gardens and healthy trees.

If you want to give gardening a try for the first time, growing vegetables is a great way to ease yourself in. There are so many benefits to growing your own veg: you save money on food shopping and it is more environmentally friendly.

You’ll find that your food tastes far fresher than anything you’d buy in a supermarket and you can be assured that the foods have not been treated. If you’re a parent, you’ll find that your children have a new found appreciation for vegetables when they have grown them from a seed.

Where to grow your vegetables

First things first, you need to pick a patch in your garden for your vegetables to grow. All plants require sunshine so pick the sunniest spot in your garden. You’ll find that vegetables grown with plenty of sunshine are stronger and more resistant to disease.

What’s more, certain vegetables actually taste far nicer when grown in the sun. Carrots, chillies, onions and tomatoes have a sweeter taste when grown in the sun. When growing salad and strawberries, you may need a bit of shade which can be easily creating with some netting.

What type of soil is suitable to grow vegetables?

The soil in your garden is likely to be suitable for growing vegetables, unless it is extremely thin, shallow or full of stones. If your soil is too thin or full of stones, grow your vegetables in a flower pot or build a flower bed.

How do I keep pests away from my vegetable garden?

It is important to keep snails and slugs away from your vegetable plot. Keep your plot neat and free from weeds to prevent slugs and snails from hiding away. Keep the grass around your vegetable plot well-trimmed. If you have long grass next to your vegetable plot, slugs and snails could hide away and get onto your plot during the night.

To keep slugs and snails away, keep a path between your vegetable patch and the sides. This will leave slugs and snails exposed which encourages birds to pick them up. It also makes it easy for you to identify them and move them away.

How do I protect my vegetable garden from weeds?

To grow a successful vegetable garden, you need to keep your vegetable plot weed free. If you don’t maintain weeds, your vegetables will be swamped by weeds. As you’re planning on eating your crops, you don’t want to add too many chemicals so you can rip out all weeds and their roots as you go.

If you find weeds with extremely deep roots, keep that part of soil covered up with card and top it with 2 inches of compost. This stops weeds from re-growing without using chemicals.

Sometimes you will need to use chemicals, particularly if you’re limited on time. If you’re limited on time, look for a chemical containing systematic glyphosate because this will kill the weed without spoiling your crops in the future.