Spare a thought for the poor old earth
Last week, millions were gazing skywards, observing the movement of celestial bodies. On Monday, there’s another celestial body that deserves far more attention when we celebrate Earth Day.
I’d like to think the Earth feels rejuvenated after resting through a long, cold, dark winter, but I fear these days the Earth must be awakening like a grumpy old person who hasn’t slept well. Our Earth, the only one, isn’t doing quite so well. Within one old person’s lifetime it has aged visibly and unnaturally, under assault from all quarters, and it’s becoming more obvious due to climate change.
Those closest to nature, and that includes we gardeners, see this. What are we doing to help, not just on Earth Day, but every day? There’s much that needs to be done in all areas of our lives, but let’s focus on what we can do in our gardens to improve the health of the world and of ourselves.
We have done much in recent years as attitudes have changed. A huge one was the enactment of the provincial-wide cosmetic pesticide act that came into effect in April 2009. It raised awareness of the harm being done to keep lawns weed and insect free. It’s hard to believe tanker trucks used to roam neighbourhoods spraying everything in sight with toxic chemicals that were running off and polluting waterways.
We’ve become more aware of the importance of insects. The majority of insects in a garden are beneficial as pollinators and as food for birds and other wildlife. It’s in the garden that we can see a complete microcosm of the Earth and witness how all the elements interact. Even in a small city garden, a natural balance will develop if you let it. My garden has shown me this. Even if bugs appear to be having a picnic on your penstemon, you can be sure there are carnivorous insects about, planning to feature the leaf munchers as main course on their picnic.
Another change in our approach to gardening is the planting of native species in our gardens and the removal of non-native, invasive plants. When gardens were created decades ago, high maintenance lawns ruled. Choice of plants was limited compared to today where a huge consumer driven industry is introducing new cultivars every year.
I’ve grown a wide variety of plants in my garden beginning almost 40 years ago. In the early days, like many, I planted things that are now considered invasive species, but I’ve been gradually removing them over the past few years. I turfed out the burning bush long ago, and the periwinkle that I planted back in the ’80s. These are all plants listed as invasive species that threaten native plants when they escape into woodland. I still have my favourites that cause no harm and I now avoid planting anything invasive or simply aggressive. And yet as the climate does change, what have been seen as innocuous plants might change as well and become a threat.
The garden is awakening now, a week or two sooner than usual, and rejuvenated — me slightly less so each spring. Alone, I can’t do much for the many problems facing the environment, but if we all garden in a sustainable manner, while reducing our demands in other areas, we’ll be helping the Earth as we face a changing climate. Scientists who are able to predict the accuracy of the time and path of a total eclipse are warning us.
It’s Earth Day — give it some thought.