Back Garden Biology

In this fun and informative series Dr Lindsay Turnbull, Associate Professor and Fellow of The Queen’s College, Oxford University, looks at the biology of the back garden. This series is recorded hot off the press in a normal garden in England beginning in March 2020 and would be of interest to anyone from age 5+. The series is particularly useful for children missing school who would like to carry on practical work in their own garden and have an expert help them understand the theory behind everyday biology. Packed with things to see right now, take the edge off your enforced boredom by venturing into the back garden.

Dr Lindsay Turnbull's Home Page Department of Plant Sciences

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 episodes

Episode	Description	People	Date
The Worm that Turned	The species with the biggest biomass in any garden is almost certainly the earthworm. These humble denizens of our soil provide essential services by turning over soil and promoting plant growth.	Lindsay Turnbull, Peter Holland	8 February, 2021
Seeing the Wood for the Trees (Part II)	We take a walk around a local park to admire more winter trees and see why conifers win over broadleaved trees as we move further North, but even they have to drop their needles during the winter in the farthest reaches of the Boreal forest.	Lindsay Turnbull	25 January, 2021
Seeing the Wood for the Trees	In winter the bones of the trees are laid bare, giving us a chance to see their skeletons. Join Lindsay as she takes a tour round Wytham Woods in Oxford, showing you how to identify our common native trees from their bark and the shape of their branches.	Lindsay Turnbull	7 January, 2021
One billion years a slave	Peering into a drop of pondwater allows you to look back in time and see key events in the history of life on Earth.	Lindsay Turnbull, Stuart West	6 August, 2020
Feed the birds?	What do birds like eating and what decisions do they have to make when visiting a bird feeder?	Lindsay Turnbull, Friederike Hillemann, Annette Fayet	28 July, 2020
Interview with a Vampire	Find out how plants like mistletoe and hayrattle extract resources from their hosts and how hayrattle engages in a game of rock, paper, scissors, that makes managing meadows a whole lot easier.	Lindsay Turnbull	10 July, 2020
Much ado about mothing	Dedicated to moths, this episode explores how and why these unsung heroes deserve more attention.	Lindsay Turnbull, Doug Boyes, Ben Sheldon	30 June, 2020
Stop the pigeon? Never!	Woodpigeons are common garden birds, whose familiar call has been likened to someone complaining about their feet. But woodpigeons make fantastic parents, and like all pigeons and doves produce a kind of 'milk' to feed their young.	Lindsay Turnbull	15 June, 2020
All that glitters	Find out how birds, insects and plants exploit iridescence.	Lindsay Turnbull	4 June, 2020
Three little birds	Blue and great tits commonly use nest-boxes in gardens. In this episode we explore their nesting behaviour and get a priviledged view inside the nest-boxes at Wytham Woods.	Lindsay Turnbull	29 May, 2020
Why is the world green?	Lindsay searches for the truth about our verdant green world and tackles a mystery about her rose-bushes: who ate all the greenfly?	Lindsay Turnbull	24 May, 2020
Garden Safari: The Bug Five!	Did you know that just five groups of insects dominate your garden? And can you tell the difference between bugs and beetles?	Lindsey Turnbull	12 May, 2020
Seeds of Change	In this episode we take a look at the strange life-cycle of ferns and find out why they are so dependent on water.	Lindsay Turnbull	10 May, 2020
Hot as mustard	In this episode we look closely at Garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge, a very common plant throughout the UK.	Lindsay Turnbull	4 May, 2020
One is the magic number	Back Garden Biology takes a closer look at the insects in the garden including the solitary bee.	Lindsay Turnbull	27 April, 2020
Stinker!	In this episode we look at the cuckoo pint, which has an unusual flower with the central part, called a spadix, releasing a stench that to our nostrils is quite revolting.	Lindsay Turnbull	20 April, 2020
Queen Bee	Learn how to identify common garden bees and find out why they never seem to stay still.	Lindsay Turnbull	20 April, 2020
The Lillies of the Fields	The beautiful snake's-head fritillary is the flower of Oxfordshire. In this episode we look closely at the flowers it produces.	Lindsay Turnbull	13 April, 2020
Deceived with ornament	Plants attract pollinators through their colourful flowers but some plants aren't quite what they seem.	Lindsay Turnbull	6 April, 2020
Sex and the single primrose	In early spring, primroses and cowslips can be found in many gardens and parks. Their yellow flowers are certainly beautiful, but they also hold a secret: they come in two different types that can only mate with each other.	Lindsay Turnbull	26 March, 2020

Back Garden Biology

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