A GREEN LIGHT FOR 2020
Make your plot a wildlife haven to offset the effects of climate change
ORDER books have opened for Peugeot’s all-new second-generation 2008 family S SUV (left) — available in petrol, diesel and e electric — with deliveries from February.
Prices start from £20,150 for a 1.2-litre PureTech 100 hp petrol manual gearbox model. The fully electric e-2008 SUV, costing f from £28,150 (after the taxpayer-funded £3,500 subsidy) will arrive in driveways from April.
It has three driving modes — Sport, Normal and Eco — and runs on a 50 kWh battery and 134 hp motor to provide a range of up to 206 miles from a full charge, taking 24 hours from a domestic socket, 7.5 hours from an AC charging point and 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes from a rapid DC charging point.
The range-topping GT trim starts at £31,575, or £34,275 for the electric version. Further ‘electrified’ hybrids will be available from 2023.
Gardeners can’t reverse climate change. But we can do our bit to help, by making our plots greener, richer and more diverse in 2020. so here are ten steps to reduce your carbon footprint — and make your garden more varied and beautiful.
1 Shared space
Like it or not, we share our gardens with others. soil teems with life, from germs to worms. These recycle nutrients, keeping soils healthy. above ground, you can nurture insects, birds and other creatures with a pond, log pile or simply some long grass.
2 Your own carbon cycle
GrowinG plants lock up carbon. when plant matter dies in winter, nutrients are recycled as it decays. if garden waste is composted, it will boost the health of soil when spread over the ground.
3 Give nature a home
roadside wildflowers are becoming scarce, even along country lanes. Birds, such as swallows and starlings, are in decline. There are fewer bees and other insects, too. Help reverse this by making your garden wildlife-friendly. Take advice from The wildlife Trusts ( wildlifetrusts.org/gardening) or join the trust in your county.
4 Don’t be too tidy
naTure loves a mess. Visitors disapprove of dandelions in my gravel, but early bees need the flowers for nectar. Besides, they’re pretty. Long grass in corners, messy hedge-bottoms, even the moss on your roof — all make little wildlife habitats.
5 Plant for pollinators
aparT from cereals, most food crops need pollinating insects, which need flowers.
Bee-friendly plants are usually beautiful, so find out which will best suit your garden. The royal Horticultural society publishes lists of pollinator plants ( rhs.org.uk).
6 Love your soil
soiL is a living entity. To thrive, it needs moisture, drainage and high levels of organic matter. improve your soil with regular dressings of compost. protect its structure by not trampling over the ground when it’s wet. soils are healthier with green cover. so keep bare ground to a minimum.
7 A self-sustaining lawn
FeedinG lawns with mineral fertiliser is expensive and can pollute water supplies. applying herbicides will ruin diversity. instead, leave grass clippings on the ground after mowing. My lawns have been untreated for 16 years and cuttings are never removed. There are daisies and other ‘weeds’ — but the lawns are even, green and beautiful.
8 Fences fit for wildlife
soLid or mesh garden fences can restrict the movement of hedgehogs and other wildlife. so, cut a hole that’s around 5.5 in x 5.5 in at ground level for small creatures to use.
9 Make a pond
My 10ft x 5ft wildlife pond was made in a day. Materials, skip hire and labour cost just short of £1,000. The first water beetle arrived a week after completion. Twenty months later, it is full of diverse life and has become a garden focal point.
10 What next?
HeLp is available everywhere to make your garden more environmentally friendly. For horticultural advice, try Garden organic ( gardenorganic. org. uk); for insects, Buglife ( buglife.org.uk); for native birds, the rspB ( rspb.
org.uk); and for wildflowers, plant Life ( plantlife.org.uk).