As it becomes increasingly apparent that politicians can’t be depended on to do anything about climate change (other than maybe shout a few half-hearted protests... apologies, Al Gore), it is us gardeners who must take things into our own hands and try to save the environment.
As an aside, Active You met the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change a few years ago and a nicer fellow you couldn’t wish to meet. We came away convinced about global warming but still reticent about ‘cap & trade’ as a solution. After all, ‘cap & trade’ allows rich countries to continue to pollute – something we find strange if global warming is as big a threat as it’s meant to be. Hmm. I digress.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started on making your garden truly green.
· Save water − No matter what the reason (or season), conserving water is always a good idea. So design your roof to feed rainwater into the tanks and cisterns where it can be stored for use in the future. Easy to implement? 7/10.
· Conserve natural heat − Garden cloches are a great way of protecting your young plants from both harsh weather and pests. If you plan to sow plants in March, set these cloches in February itself. You can also use horticultural fleece to protect saplings from insects and also to increase the yield. Easy to implement? 8/10.
· Create insulation for your greenhouse − A brilliant way of doing this is by fixing polythene bubble wrap over the glazing. This causes only a minor reduction in the light level but offers great insulation to the plants. It is almost like covering them with a blanket. If you want any plant to have extra warmth, you can also insulate it individually. Easy to implement? 9/10.
· Try alternatives of plant food − There are some great by-products available that work wonders when used as plant food. You can try dried poultry manure in place of mineral fertilizers. This reduces dependency on manufactured chemical fertilizers, and in turn, decreases pollution of water supplies. If you live on the coast, seaweed from the beach makes a superb mineral-rich, iodine-rich, fertiliser. Easy to implement? On the coast, 10/10. London? A pain in the behind!
· Change sowing and mowing patters − Contrary to popular belief, late-sown plants do not show a delayed growth or flowering process. So you can now plant seeds a couple of weeks later and save on the heating. As for mowing, use a mower that is sharpened and serviced regularly. This makes the machine efficient and lowers energy consumption levels. Easy to implement? 9/10
· Make your own compost − The benefits of recycling can never be stressed enough. Instead of throwing it away as rubbish, get all those weeds, leaves, prunings, old potting soil, and even kitchen waste to make your own compost. Not only is it a great way of recycling your household garbage, home-made compost is also known to significantly boost growth in plants. Easy to implement? 6/10 in the City, 10/10 in the country.
So there you go – 6 great tips, mostly easy to implement, that can help give you a truly green garden. Even if climate change is proven to be wrong science in the long run, with over 6.8 billion souls on planet earth we all need to play our part in conserving our precious world’s resources.
Happy New Year!
Photo: Fertiliser from seaweed.....easy if you live near the coast.
