Oxford Botanic Garden Have a section of self sustainable plots where crops are grown  which were typical of the monastic horticulture that gave birth to these Physic Gardens.  Nets are placed over some crops to stop the insects getting to them.  one plot is also given over to a weed to grow to its hearts content so a study can be made how it can be controlled from looking at its growth pattern.

The harvest from the Garden are used by the Oxford Food Bank and the fresh vegetables given to those who need it most.

The crop at the garden is good and I overheard some conversations as the gardens draw keen gardeners as to how this can be achieved.

I overheard one of the visitors discuss how strawberries were going missing from her plot.  Mice were the culprit.  They stole the berries before they were ripe and hid them under rotting leaves.  The pile of leaves were moved for composting and there lay the missing produce.  The answer to getting more pests pecking at stealing the crop seem to be painting small stones red and placing them near the maturing berries.  This is in keeping with a green policy of not using pesticides on the land.