Achieving sustainability
An attempt to find a meaning for this word as it applies to gardening comes up with many answers.
Aquick search of the internet for the meaning of the word “sustainability” returns definitions such as “the quality of being able to continue over a long time”, “the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time”, and “the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance”.
We’re constantly bombarded with this word in nearly every facet of our daily lives as it now ever more obvious to all of us that we need to live as sustainably as possible for our earth to be able to support the pressures of a growing and generally consumptive human population for centuries to come.
In general life, humans seem to be well on the way in our attempts to embrace sustainability, whether it be as a result of government laws, incentives and (hopefully achievable) targets, or through our own awareness of the basic but important ways we can include more sustainable practices each and every day we live on this life-giving planet.
Our everyday habits are increasingly infiltrated by thoughts of reducing use of plastics and packaging, food miles, nonrenewable resources (oil, coal, gas, water), and the increasing use of solar and battery power, and locally produced food and household materials.
My recent two-part article entitled “Gardening For Our Future” went some way towards explaining how we can change some of our gardening practices and product purchases in order to reduce waste in our patches.
My involvement with developing the classes and options for the 2021 Chronicle Garden Competition, in which one entry option was “Sustainable Garden”, has caused me to rethink the definition of the word “sustainable” as it applies to gardeners.
Firstly, it’s important to realise that sustainability in one garden may differ from that of another, and can be dependant on the owner’s preferences, where the garden is situated, and the availability of plants, products and materials.
It’s also worthy of mention that it’s virtually impossible for many gardeners to achieve total sustainability (best practice) in their gardens, but to always look for ways to improve is admirable.
Improving your garden’s sustainability is all about choices.
Financial or time constraints will sometimes drive us to look at solutions that may improve sustainability, for example, making your own compost instead of buying it in plastic bags that have travelled long distances from its origins.
On the other hand, these constraints may also have the opposite effect, for example, using a soluble, easy to use, manufactured chemical fertiliser instead of natural manures and composts.
Water use is another area where sustainability can be measured.
The use of rainwater from a tank, or recycled grey water, is regarded as more sustainable than relying on town water from dams or bores.
The application method of water to your plants can also be made more sustainable by careful consideration of when you irrigate (not after good rain, time of day etc), and the types of emitters used (drip or trickle irrigation is much more efficient and only applies water where it’s needed).
The use of materials in the garden should also weigh into the sustainability score.
For example, re-using old pavers or bricks for steps or garden edging, repurposing pallets for shelving or compost bin sides, old sleepers and iron for raised garden beds, and any type of container (such as old teapots, tins) in which to grow plants would improve sustainability.
A bonus would be that all these materials were sourced locally, reducing the distance travelled and resources needed to get to your garden.
It’s also worthwhile considering the source of plants for your garden.
Receiving cuttings or plants from friends and fellow garden club members, buying from local markets and quality plant nurseries, or even propagating your own plants will help you to score highly on the sustainability scale.
It’s worthwhile considering that plants sourced from local gardens will nearly always be suited to local conditions and should thrive when planted in your garden.
Plant selection is also critical to improving sustainability.
You may recall the third definition quoted at the beginning of this article, ending in “…supporting long-term ecological balance.”
Growing a range of different plant varieties in your garden increases the diversity of insects and animals that will use the garden for shelter and food.
Encouraging greater diversity of life in a garden ranks highly by improving the ecological balance in your patch.
This improvement of the ecological balance in your garden would also hit another sustainability bullseye by reducing the reliance on many forms of pest and disease control, whether it be inorganic or organic, as this balance will bring predatory beneficial insects and animals to help control the nasties wanting to destroy your plants and soil life.
Overall, it’s hard to achieve total sustainability in a garden but some consideration of the points listed in this article will help all gardeners score highly, reducing both our reliance on the earth’s finite resources, and the production of nonrecyclable waste products.
It’s our choice.
GARDEN CUTTINGS
I am available for garden consultations and would love to help you with plant selection, identification, soil health, plant health, irrigation and design ideas. Please contact me at wellsleyhorticultural@gmail.com, or via my Facebook Page – Wellsley Horticulture.