Importance of gardens, water
SOIL: MAKE-OR-BREAK CONTRIBUTION TO ENVIRONMENT
The urban forests of Joburg and Pretoria are our saving grace.
World Water Day was marked last week, keeping the focus on using water sparingly, despite the relief of full dams and relaxed water restrictions.
Listening to a radio show some time ago, it was interesting to hear how many listeners unapologetically said they used clean towels every day, which meant that a family of four probably had to run the washing machine daily, using a huge amount of water. Yet they never connected that practice to the water restrictions.
Perhaps it was easy to target gardening (where, admittedly, there is a lot of waste) because it is visible, like filling the pool and washing the car with a hose. Much more wastage is invisible and mostly in the home, as 60% of household water is used for showering or bathing, flushing the toilet, running the washing machine, dishwasher and in the kitchen.
Why gardening ma ers
Gardens may seem like a luxury, but we couldn’t survive without them. They are the green lungs that clean the air. The urban forests of Joburg and Pretoria are our saving grace, along with lawn, grass, shrubs and flowers.
Even though gardeners did bear the brunt of the restrictions, it did change water usage for the better, and prompted more drought-resistant plant choices.
What’s good about lawns
Lawns are often regarded as water guzzlers. But, if the soil is correctly prepared before planting, the right varieties used (don’t plant shade varieties in full sun), and the grass is not mown too short in hot weather, the lawn will survive with little watering and still bounce back after a good rain.
Lawns act as giant air conditioners, cooling down the environment, unlike paving. They allow rain water to sink into the ground, reducing the run-off to storm water drains.
The power of flowers
Without flowering plants, there is no food for pollinators, especially bees, because without them to pollinate fruit and vegetables we would not have food. They also provide shelter and food for other insects, that in turn are food for birds, frogs, chameleons and a host of other garden wild life in the food chain.
Be water savvy with veggies
Vegetables, ironically, need far more water than a flower garden. The reason why tomato crops fail, why lettuce is bitter, or peppers drop their flowers is because they don’t receive adequate watering.
It is an inconvenient truth but the outlay of water, fertiliser (organic) disease and pest control needs to be weighed up against the romance of growing your own vegetables, especially if yields are minimal.
The ground of our well-being
The most important component of the garden is the soil, and that is gardening’s make-or-break contribution to the environment. Healthy soil, filled with microorganism, builds healthy plants which builds healthy people, and water is essential in this process.
Gardens are also important for our mental health. The physical act of gardening relieves stress and helps us wind down.