10 STEPS to a greener garden
If you’re keen to grow greener, but not sure where to start, here are some simple suggestions. However big or small your garden, we have constructive actions you can take right now that don’t require dramatic changes or lots of extra effort. So just pick one or two from our list and give them a try. We’ll cover all of these topics in more detail in the coming months
1 Just grow
Raising plants, and more of them, is a key weapon in the fight against climate change. Plants absorb CO2, remove pollutants from the air and hold water in the soil, helping to prevent further climate change, improve air quality and prevent flooding. Trees are key but so too are the layers of shrubs and perennials underneath. And don’t forget your pond – a well-planted pond stores more CO2 than an equivalent area of trees. Why not start sowing seeds indoors now – see GardenersWorld.com/sow-indoors
2 Farm at home
Make food miles a thing of the past by growing your own veg and enjoying seasonal eating. Start with easy crops like salad leaves, fast-growing herbs, courgettes and climbing beans. If you have a greenhouse or sheltered patio, try tomatoes and peppers. You won’t be totally self-sufficient, but it all adds up! Start off chillies now on a warm windowsill. And if you love cut flowers at home, grow your own – imported flowers come with eye-watering air miles, so learn to love your local blooms. For our beginners’ veg-growing advice, see GardenersWorld.com/easy-veg
3 Turn grey to green
Cover every surface in your garden with plants, for so many benefits, including saving money on your heating! Hedges trap pollution before it enters your home, while plants insulate walls, warming in winter and cooling in summer. And the more plants we grow, the more CO2 is absorbed – so cover ugly fences with climbers, add arches and obelisks for more vertical growing space, use windowboxes and green up patios or concrete yards with containers. For lots of container growing tips, go to GardenersWorld.com/pots-containers
4 Reduce use of pesticides and fertilisers
Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides and fungicides – together they’re a deadly cocktail that kills insects and the plants they need. Then, along with synthetic fertilisers, they may eventually leach into streams and rivers, causing algal blooms and killing fish and invertebrates. Switch to organic methods instead – the new year is a perfect time to start afresh! Go to GardenersWorld.com/organic for lots of tips.
5 Save water
Climate change may lead to more droughts and hosepipe bans, but also more flooding.
Tap water is a precious resource, so try to use as little as you can. Most of us have at least one water butt to store rainwater, but you may be able to add more, or if you don’t have any, invest in one now. Go to Gardeners World.com/savewater for more water-saving ideas.
6 Help wildlife
Many of our native fauna are declining, and climate change will push them further towards
extinction. By gardening for wildlife, we can help stabilise or even reverse declines. If we all grow bee-friendly flowers and caterpillar food plants, make spaces for hedgehogs and dig a pond, we would give vulnerable species a helping hand. Act now, to prepare for many creatures emerging from hibernation soon, by introducing suitable plants and creating useful habitats. Get lots of wildlife gardening advice at GardenersWorld.com/wildlife
7 Reduce, reuse and recycle
Do you really need to buy new gardening tools and gadgets? By looking after your current tools and propagating equipment better, they will last longer. Start now, with a new-year tool-cleaning regime – simply take the time to clean your tools after each use and store them properly, and you’ll keep them working for longer, meaning you buy and throw away less. Watch our video on looking after wooden tools at GardenersWorld.com/tool-care
8 Cut your plastic dependence
Plastics are derived from fossil fuels. They are difficult to recycle effectively and pollute the environment when disposed of. By buying fewer plastic products, you’ll use less fossil fuel and create less pollution. And by cleaning and reusing the plastic gardening items you already have, you’ll extend their life and consume less. But how much do you use? Conduct a ‘plastic audit’ today and see how you can use less. Get tips on reducing your plastic dependence at GardenersWorld.com/plastic
9 Compost more and better
Composting is one of the best things you can do for the planet. Why? Because it’s a natural way to regenerate. However small your garden, make space for a bin to recycle green waste. You’ll have a free source of nutritious compost, while providing homes for wildlife and reducing waste sent to landfill. See our beginners’ guide to composting on p56 and at GardenersWorld.com/ composting
10 Less digging and less peat
Climate change is influenced by what lies beneath our feet. Peat bogs store vast amounts of carbon – more per square metre than equivalent forest. So switching to peatfree compost will help to keep carbon where it belongs – in the ground! Soil also stores carbon and digging can release it, so explore ‘no-dig’ gardening at GardenersWorld.com/no-dig