Between the settlements lie twining pathways and almost surreally-terraced cliffs, a painstakingly chiselled landscape of gardens, vineyards and fields.

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But Richard Ridler, chairman of Essex Beekeepers' Association, says this year's bad weather has not necessarily killed off bees, just stopped them from venturing out into fields and gardens.

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Buildings aside, Cinque Terre's most unique historical feature is the steeply terraced cliffs bisected by a complicated system of fields and gardens that has been shaped over the course of nearly two millennia.

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It followed me from the fields and vegetable gardens of our little ranch in the Central Valley of California to the deciduous woodlands of our hilltop home in Minnesota.

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They also encourage the destruction of valuable green space within cities, such as playing fields, allotments and gardens.

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Other planning briefs going out for consultation include sites at Renwick Gardens and West Renwick Gardens in Morebattle and Todlaw playing fields in Duns.

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The framework also allowed councils to protect back gardens, while ensuring that "playing fields continued to benefit from the same protection that they do currently", planning minister Greg Clark said.

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Les Routes de la Lavande is a road trip along Provencal lavender fields that takes travellers to places associated with growing and processing lavender, such as farmhouses and botanical gardens that feature demonstrations of distillation techniques.

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