Green gardening
Experienced “green” gardeners have carefully considered the soil they use, how they treat it and know what they can get from it. The best option is to use homemade compost or organic fertiliser. Bark and natural mulch should be used in favour of artificial or chemical based garden solutions over exposed soil to retain ground moisture, add nutrients and discourage weeds.
If growing vegetables, there are a variety of multi-purpose, specialist and peat-free composts and grow bags on the market. The use of pure peat is not sustainable or kind to the environment and, with experience, it’s not necessary to trade your gardening success for going green.
A compost heap or bin turns kitchen and garden waste into a rich, valuable soil conditioner. Most of the waste we dispose of can be composted, but unsuitable material includes animal waste, bones and non-biodegradable items.
Some dedicated gardeners swear by a wormery, a nifty but simple invention housing Tiger Worms that chomp their way through all kinds of kitchen waste, turning it into a rich, organic liquid feed suitable for all plants, flowers, vegetables and even lawns. For the squeamish, the worms are not on show and retailers state that the wormery is odourless.
Many new houses are equipped with a water butt to capture rainwater from the roof and gutters. If you don’t already have one, a water butt is an inexpensive investment, considering rainwater contains more useful garden nutrients than tap water and in the event of a hosepipe ban, you will still have water readily available.
People who want to encourage wildlife into their gardens need to consider their choice of plants, the possibility of creating a pond or setting up bird tables or feeders, which can be strategically placed so they can be seen from a window.
With the concern over the declining bee populations, growing nectar-producing plants such as buddleia and lavender will make a small, but significant contribution to wildlife conservation. Nectar-producing plants usually smell sweet and pleasant, attracting butterflies as an added bonus.
Ponds encourage frogs, toads and insects and ensuring the pond has soft edges offers these creatures easy access. Ladybirds will help keep your garden pest free and amphibians will control the number of slugs and snails in the garden. Slug traps can be created using small pots of real ale, which is a charming and quirky method of protecting a bed of lettuces, if needed.
If you’re serious about green issues, you’ll agree that making a difference starts with the individual, so anything positive we can do in our gardens must be worthwhile.