GARDENING NEWS 055
HOW TO BE AN ECO-FRIENDLY GARDENER
By gardening with a few eco-friendly practices in mind, you will be positively impacting the environment, local wildlife and your garden, plus jobs to do this month
Caroline Knight
right? Wrong. Plants themselves are perfectly balanced in nature, with species having evolved to live alongside each other, while many are vital to each other’s health and continued survival. They live, they grow, they produce seeds and fruit, which feed others. Eventually they die and return everything, and more, to the soil. But then along comes a foreign species that throws everything out of kilter. Some dominate, others come with their own special pests and diseases. Certain species repel the growth of others nearby. Then we have the recycling of materials issue. That plant pot in which your new plant grew is probably a single-use plastic pot. It might go straight into the bin, along with the plastic plant pot-transporting tray. We don’t need Sir David Attenborough to tell us the effect of throw-away plastics. It is perfectly possible to garden sustainably. We need to realise that not all plastics are bad. Some, such as watering cans, strong
G
ardening and related activities are surely sustainable, environmentally harmonious and largely organic,
seed trays and wheelbarrows, for example, will last for decades – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
What about compost? The majority of “multi-purpose” compost contains between 70-100% peat. This is still the case, even though we are fully aware of the precious peatbogs that provide unique habitats for insect, plant and bird life.
Making a difference
Consumer power is highly effective and gardeners and garden-lovers can make a huge difference to common practice. The National Trust is now on a pathway to replace environmentally unfriendly containers with more sustainable alternatives. Several garden centres have introduced recycling schemes whereby their customers can bring back pots and trays for re-use, while many nurseries are now on a pathway to use peat-free compost. Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) now has a long-term environmental plan which aims to stop
plastic from entering the ocean and major retailers are being encouraged to adopt more sustainable practices. The fi rst place for us all to start is in the home. Recycle “useful” things that would otherwise be thrown away. Wooden pallets, for example, make great compost bins. They can also be used for the creation of bird boxes and feeders, also kindling wood. Plant labels and seed trays can be made from plastic cartons, while pots can be made from newspapers. If you’ve already collected an array of plastic pots, make sure you re-use them or take them to a nursery that practices recycling. Grow more plants from seed or cuttings, thereby cutting out the need for retail pots. You might justify getting a (recycled) greenhouse in order to extend your propagation efforts. You can even buy sustainable garden furniture, with some of the latest designs being made from plastics recycled from the ocean.
Once you get into your eco stride, it all becomes an established way of life.
4 THINGS TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH
1. There’s still plenty to harvest in the vegetable garden. If the weather is mild you might easily be picking broad beans, peas, tomatoes, carrots, squashes, pumpkins and salad.
2. Cut back many unsightly perennials that are dying back
and fl opping. These include peonies, marguerites, cat mint, hardy geraniums and phlox. Anything with upright seeds can be left for the birds.
3. Plant up your pots! Pansies and violas will keep you feeling cheerful all through the winter.
But a word of warning: acclimatise them gradually to your garden. They will probably have been grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel and might suffer shock if you pop them straight outdoors.
4. It’s a great month for trimming hedges! There’s no danger of
nesting birds – what’s more, your hedges will stay looking smart all winter long. The traditional shape for hedging is to put a slight “batter” to the top. In other words, shape the hedge so it’s slightly wider at the bottom than at the top – this helps to stop it spreading or collapsing under the weight of snow.
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