Beekeeping has a reputation as a rural pastime, something you can only do if you have fields and woodland to play with. In fact, according to North London Beekeepers, urban bees can make more honey than their rural counterparts, thanks to the large variety of plants available in towns and cities – a London beekeeper can expect to collect an average honey crop of 70 plus lbs of honey, compared with about 30 lbs per hive in the country.

While the professionals do stress that you shouldn’t just rush into beekeeping it is an increasingly popular pastime, and there is plenty of help out there for those of you who are tempted by the thought of making your own honey.

If you’re interested in finding out more, the best bet is to contact your local branch of the British Beekeeper’s Association, who can offer advice and often run courses. There are still spaces available on the London Beekeeper’s Association ‘Taste of Beekeeping course in June

The BBKA also recommend Ted Hooper’s book ’Guide to Bees and Honey’ as a good starting point for learning about bees at home.

Related: Pollinating Bee Log from Natural Collection | News: Decline in haymaking bad news for the bumble bee

Good One fashion company sell clothes made from hand-picked recycled fabrics, meaning that every piece of clothing they make is a one-off in terms of its colours and patterns, as well as being completely sustainable.

You can order and buy their clothing online, or send them your own materials or designs to have a piece of clothing designed and made for you. Their fair pricing structure is outlined on the website, and all prices include postage. Prices typically range from £20 – £90; the vest top pictured here is £25.

[Via The Guardian]

Related: ECO-CHIC Fashion & Ethics show in Oxford 16 March | Rough Sleepers: designer charity shop

As the nights get longer and hotter I’m reluctant to eat indoors – I want to be out as much as possible. My favourite way of preparing food in summer evenings is the barbecue – it lasts as long as you want and flame-blackened food is one of the tastes of summer.

That’s fine when I’m at home, but what about when I fancy an evening on the beach or in the park? I have to admit that last year I picked up a few disposable barbecues, which can’t be good for the environment in terms of their production or the fact that we threw them away at the end of the night. However, this post over at hen and hammock has full instructions for making your own portable barbecue from a biscuit tin and chicken wire. It can be reused all summer, leaving you with more money to spend on food for the barbie and beer to go with it (just remember to recycle the cans)!

Related post: Logmaker, Logmaker, get me a match

Since we read that people in the UK throw away one-third of the food we buy, everyone in my house has been trying to cut down on our food waste. We already feed scraps to pets, but it looks like to really cut down on our waste we’ll need to start composting.

In my search for a suitable composter today I discovered Smart Soil, whose sealed, rotating compost bin allows you to add meat and fish scraps along with the usual vegetable matter from your kitchen and turn it into usable compost in around eight weeks.

Personally, I’m taken with their Sun Frost Scrap Eater (pictured), as it allows you to grow plants off the compost you’re making in the middle – and it looks much nicer too. Now all I have to do is convince my housemates to help me pay for it…

Related posts: Making recycling sexy | World’s cutest composter?

The National Trust asked ten photographers to answer the question ‘what does climate change mean for Britain?’ using their cameras. The results are shown in a new photography exhibition at Hoopers Gallery in London from the 12th of April, before going on tour around the UK – see below for all dates and venues.

The images (which you can preview online at the National Trust and Guardian sites (some different photos at each), show how wide the impact of climate change already is: the ‘permanent’ snowline on Snowdonia has moved drastically; exotic plants (and diseases) now flourish on the British Isles; and once-full moats and rivers run dry.

But the exhibition doesn’t only focus on the negative. Other pictures show responses to climate change, such as the use of thermal energy and biofuels.

Exposed: Climate Change in Britain’s Backyard is at Hoopers Gallery, London EC1, 12 April-11 May; Nottingham Castle, 19 May-1 July; Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor, 7 July-2 September; Bristol Museum and Arts Gallery, 2 November-2 December; and Waterfront Hall, Belfast, January 2008.

Related posts: 2007 Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition opens for entries | Draft UK climate change bill launched