Is this something to be encouraged or shunned? At first it seems a little scary to this city dwelling, garden admiring (not so good at the planting and picking yet), organic buying type such as myself.

I'd read articles on foraging in progressive eco thinking magazines like the Ecologist and Resurgence, but never really considered making a picnic lunch activity of it. But then I spotted, in the local What's On guide Greenwich this summer, a Guided Walk (but wait there's more) for Edible Wild Plants and Herbs.

On the walk you will learn from an expert how to forage for wild food in Greenwich Park (who would have thought!). You will also receive a few recipe tips to prepare your food finds with.

Being so local I think I may give this one a go. After all you've got to try it before you truly know whether you like something -a bit like a try before you buy but you don't have to buy! Note to self: don't watch movie Into the Wild before you go on edible wild plant walk. (You'll have to watch this brilliant film yourself to know why - I'm not one for spoiling the ending!)

The walk is being hosted on Wednesday 19 August from 10.30am to 12.00noon. The meeting point is Greenwich Park, Charlton Way. For more information visit www.royalparks.org.uk.

A good question for anyone with combination or oily skin who has been afraid to touch oil based skin care products. For a start, natural plant-based oils are packed with vitamins and nutrients that our skin can use to protect, rebuild and nourish itself. For example Almond oil is high in Vitamin E and D, magnesium and calcium as well as oleic and linoleic essential fatty acids which vital for cell renewal.

Oils also promote the skin's own rhythms and stimulate it's natural activity. Something like Dr. Hauschka's Normalising Day Oil, which has been specifically created for oily and acne skin conditions, is, as its name suggests, an oil for oily skin. Its formulation is non-greasy and light so those with oily skin will not feel as if they're just clogging their pores. In fact it helps to regulate and normalise the skin's own oil production and purify open pores.

If it's a little scary to jump straight into a face oil you could start out using an oil on other, less oily parts of your body. Somewhat of an addiction lately, is my use of a rose hip based Aromatic Body Oil by Trilogy. Each time I pass the tester bottle in the So Organic shop I have to take a squirt and rub it into my hands, forearms and elbows (or as high up as I can reach!). I'm a converted body oil devotee and actually find it odd applying a cream based lotion to my skin. A good body oil absorbs well without leaving your skin feeling greasy or oily, oddly enough.

I'm glad now I dared to try the oil way. My skin looks smoother, more even and healthier for it, and it feels divine to rub in - no more sticky skin!

The John Masters range of products has long been a leader in the organic hair care market. Though a little biased (only because I adore using his products) I think the New York hairdresser has hit the nail on the eco organic head when it comes to his hair care range; they work like no other organic or non organic products this beauty blogger's tried.

But, with the launch of the John Masters Skin Care Range, the question is: can he do it, naturally, for skin also?

The team at John Masters have sourced some interesting organic ingredients (like linen, radish root and rye extract), used innovative ideas (a toner for face and hair) and drawn inspirations from all over the world to create this new line.

The range is characterised by subtle natural fragrances and organic formulations with active ingredients to make these product a luxury for the skin but also truly work effectively. The line is one of the first to use two innovative natural preservatives: radish root extract and aspen bark extract. These act as all-natural anti-microbials to help these products stay effective for longer (an issue for many chemical-free brands).

Many products in the line possess the USDA logo (the US organic certification body like the Soil Association), and all the ingredients are either organic or approved by EcoCert (the EU body that examines the environmental-friendly attributes of raw materials).

So does John Masters expertise in organics transfer from hair care to skin care? You betcha - superior quality matched only by some of the other premium organic brands in the industry and his own hair care range.

The new range includes:

• Rose Foaming Face Wash
• Rose & Aloe Hydrating Toning Mist
• Rose & Apricot Antioxidant Day Creme
• Firming Eye Gel
• Jojoba and Ginseng Exfoliating Clean
• Lavender Hydrating Mist for Skin and Hair
• Green Tree and Rose Hydrating Skin Serum
• Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil
• Linden Blossom Face Crème Cleanser
• SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen
• Vitamin C Anti-Aging Face Serum
• Moroccan Clay Purifying Mask
• Mandarin Maxim Moisture
• Calendula Hydrating & Toning Mask

At SoOrganic we're lucky to be exposed to whole heap of likeminded eco minded, organic loving people.

Last week I came across Master Composter Sarah Blenkinsop. Sarah writes a blog devoted to garden care and is currently writing a book on a subject she is so passionate to talk about.

Sarah promotes composting in Herefordshire, on behalf of the Council and Garden Organic and has recently been helping the local school kids build a most excellent (as the pics on her website suggest) organic vegetable garden created using her very own fresh compost.

Composting is the process organic materials are recycled back into soil by way of accelerated decomposing. It is an essential part of soil fertility. As far as I can gather (and I'm no expert - my compost bin is in need of a make over) composting requires a few good tips and dash of know-how.

Below are a couple of Sarah's suggestions on how to create the perfect pile of organic earth muck:
• Use a 50:50 mix of green and brown materials. Green materials include such things as fruit and veggie scraps, dead flowers, coffee grains and grass cuttings. Brown materials include tissues, toilet rolls, wood chippings, egg boxes and shells.
• Leave the material in your compost heap until it has turned dark brown and smells quite earthy and wait a month or so before it matures. Sarah says it is ‘a bit biologically active to apply to plants straight away.'
• If you're after the eggshellless look in your garden use a sieve to remove any large particles before using on your veggie patch or flower bed.

If you have any questions about how to make compost or what to do with it visit Sarah's blog compostbins.blogspot.com. She's ‘always happy to talk compost'.

The queen of organic compost has got me and my backyard interested in the wormier ways of garden life. How bout you?