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Southport and  Mersey Reporter -  Your free online newspaper service covering the Merseyside region - (Greater Liverpool).
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Issue:- 3 July 2014

Local MP celebrates greener gardening with easyGrow

GREEN-fingered local Liberal Democrat MP Dr John Pugh who represents Southport attended a Parliamentary reception this week hosted by the UK's largest garden retailer, B&Q.

He was present at the briefing which highlighted the many eco benefits of B&Q's revolutionary new gardening product, easyGrow™.

Launched in April, easyGrow™ with Teabag Technology™ offers a new concept in the packaging, sale and planting of bedding plants, and has completely replaced the need for polystyrene packaging.

The move is good news for gardeners in the Southport area who buy in the region of 8,369 plants from their local B&Q every summer, normally generating 30.8 cubic metres of polystyrene waste. This is one of a long line of firsts from B&Q designed to make gardening and home improvement projects hassle-free, low on waste and kinder to the environment.

Consisting of a self contained biodegradable 'teabag' made from corn starch, easyGrow™is not only completely compostable but also 95% to 99% peat free. Peat free gardening has been welcomed by a host of conservation groups, including the RSPB, who have credited B&Q with helping to ease pressure on lowland peat bogs which are home to a variety of plant and wildlife. Peat extraction is also a significant source of carbon emissions, releasing around 1.25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

Sam Mason, manager of the nearby Southport store, said:- "We're delighted that John Pugh has witnessed first hand the innovative benefits of easyGrow™. We're very proud of the range, and since it arrived in store three months ago we've had incredible feedback from customers who love the fact that they can grow beautiful plants and flowers more easily, help reduce the amount of residual waste they produce and reduce the UK's overall reliance on peat products. We're nearing the end of the season for planting Summer bedding plants and in the coming weeks, customers will be spending more and more time relaxing in their gardens and outdoor spaces, appreciating and tending to their easyGrow™ plants and flower beds."

As well as being a more sustainable product, each easyGrow™ 'teabag' protects the plant roots and makes bedding plants easy to handle with less chance of damage to fragile roots. Users can simply remove the plant from the tray and pop the plant straight into the soil.

B&Qs range of Autumn bedding plants packaged in easyGrow™ with Teabag Technology™ will be in store from the end of July.

Poets v Writers - The Out-Takes!

THE Great British Write Off released their final Poets v Writers video; which is packed full of behind the scenes, hilarious out takes! By demand the deadline for the competition has been extended to 25 July 2014. Since the 9 June 2014, The Great British Write Off have released a further 5 Poets vs Writers Challenges, #GBWO judges Mark Grist and Mixy compete in:- The Word Association Challenge, The Foam Wrestle Challenge, The Sumo Wrestle Challenge, The Pugil Stick Challenge and Innuendo Bingo Rhyming Edition. 

Morgan Walton, Director said:- "We drew inspiration from staff suggestions on their literary idols and wondered how would these famous poets and writers compete in the 21st Century, where the Internet, celebrity, adverts and gimmicks seem to tell us actions speak louder than words, and so The Great British Head to Head Challenges were born!"

The Great British Write Off is an exciting competition for poets and writers, and run by Forward Poetry.

1 lucky winner will win every penny in the prize fund, which increases every time a new entry is received!

The prize fund is currently at £1,300!

Whether you are new to writing or have a huge portfolio of work, The Great British Write Off is a fun, free opportunity to share your work, get published and even win a prize.

Simply pick 1 original piece you've written; a poem, mini saga or a short story or novel extract and enter online, by email or post by Friday, 25 July 2014.

Don't worry, you won't need a gimmick for your work, we know great writing doesn't need one; all it needs is an audience, and The Great British Write Off can certainly help with that. 

For the current prize fund, to enter and much, much more visit:- greatbritishwriteoff.co.uk today!

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