Save the planet

You don’t have to wear sackcloth and sandals to do your bit for the environment. Adrian Thomas explains how a few small changes in the garden can have a positive impact

You don’t have to wear sackcloth and sandals to do your bit... try these small changes

At last the tide of public opinion is turning. Nowadays, more people than ever know, and care, about the problems facing our wild birds, butterflies and bees, and are increasingly mindful of the climate emergency the world is facing. More than that, there’s recognition that there isn’t a distinction between ‘nature’ and ‘us’. We’re part of nature, and the things we do to our planet have an impact on ourselves and future generations. As President Macron says, “There is no Planet B”. As gardeners, we have the great pleasure and privilege of cultivating our own little piece of this beautiful world. Gardening, for the most part, is one of the most environmentally-friendly activities you could choose to do. If you like to garden in preference to leaping in the car; if you grow your own veg rather than buying imports flown in from distant lands; if you fill your garden with trees and shrubs and flowers, and if you like to share the love of gardening with friends and family, then three cheers – you’re already doing wonders for our world. Overleaf is a selection of ways we can make a positive impact on the planet. Tick off (with pride) all those you already do! ➤

1 Respect water

For so long, water was largely taken for granted. But we’re entering an era when there may be stormy periods when we have too much of it, and more often droughts, when there’s far too little.

Many of us collect rainwater in a water butt. But if your supply ran dry last summer, consider connecting another butt to an existing one with a short length of pipe.

There are lots of water-saving techniques to try, such as only watering in the evening or early morning to reduce evaporation. Apply water directly to the base of plants rather than with a sprinkler, and accept that lawns will yellow in dry periods, but soon regain colour once rains return. You could include more drought-tolerant plants, too.

2 Lock up carbon

The more carbon released into the atmosphere as gas (eg CO2), the greater the greenhouse effect. The most efficient way to sequester carbon from the air is to use plants, which absorb it through photosynthesis. The more trees and shrubs we grow, the more we lock up the carbon.

3 Commit to peat-free compost

In a few wild, wet places in the world, peat bogs develop. Here, layers of undecomposed sphagnum moss build up over millennia at a rate of barely 1mm a year. This rare habitat stores carbon in solid form, which is great for our climate (see 2 above) and also supports a host of endangered wildlife species.

It’s terribly bad luck, therefore, that peat is such an excellent growing medium, but now most experts agree that the best peat-free composts are a match for peat, and we gardeners need to embrace them.

Check commercial compost carefully when buying it, because if it doesn’t say ‘peat-free’ in big bold letters, chances are it’s not. It could be stuffed with peat – between 70 and 100%.

4 Choose sustainable timber

To make sure that the timber for your fences, sheds and raised beds comes from a sustainably managed forest, check it’s stamped with this symbol from the Forest Stewardship

Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

Green ideas Seek out sustainably managed timber When installing wooden structures, choose FSC or PEFC wood that comes from sustainably managed forests – cheaper wood costs the environment. Add a wildlife pond Perhaps the most useful habitat you can add to help wildlife, a pond provides vital water for amphibians, mammals and birds to inhabit, drink and bathe in.