Gardening Sustainably

Last Saturday I was at Seedy Saturday in Lewes Town Hall.  It’s an annual event, primarily a seed swap, and also a celebration of all things gardening and ecologically friendly.  I was helping at the Wildflower Lewes stall for a while. They promote allowing and growing wildflowers in Lewes. Along with lots of other volunteers I carry out wildflower surveys of road verges and other public places. It’s an organisation I’m also starting to support with profits from Chalkhill Rewilding.

Sustainable gardening was an overriding theme at Seedy Saturday.  That made me consider what exactly that means to me and how I can strive for it in my gardening.  A sustainable garden needs to add biodiversity to its surrounding area rather than taking away. I concluded that for me gardening sustainably also means ensuring that what I do in my garden doesn’t adversely affect habitats or biodiversity anywhere else.  There are some obvious choices we can all make such as not buying peat-based compost.  Happily that will be banned from next year for amateur gardeners, as it is finally recognised that peatlands are an important and vulnerable habitat that our gardening habits have been needlessly destroying.

Here are the top 5 things I’m going to be focusing on this year.

1. Ensure I really am peat free

I’m going to ensure I don’t inadvertently buy any peat-based products. That means plants from garden centres not clearly labelled peat-free, houseplants, plug plants. Here on some useful tips from the Wildlife Trust on how to be peat free

2. Making my own compost

I’m going to keep making my own compost.  Composting is the most environmentally friendly way to deal with food waste, garden waste and cardboard. It avoids the need to use the councils green waste collection, so cuts down on journeys. Using my own compost removes the need to buy plastic bagged compost or have a bulk delivery. The RHS has some helpful advice on home composting. Compost feeds my soil and provides an important habitat for a whole range of creatures from decomposers such as worms, through to field mice and bumblebees who make nests in it.

I’m proud of my pallet compost bins, I’ve got a few dotted around the garden. This new one is next to my vegetable patch.

3. Grow my own herbs and salad leaves

I’m going to pay a little more attention to growing my own herbs and salad leaves for longer each season. Last summer I was successful with a range of herbs in the garden: mint, basil, coriander, lemon balm, rosemary, chives….Salad leaves too but I didn’t do so well at the beginning and end of the season. This year I’ll be taking more care to maintain a supply for more of the year. Growing salad leaves and herbs doesn’t take much space, saves a lot of money compared to shop bought, means no plastic packing or airmiles, and avoids finding un-used limp leaves at the back of the fridge. Freshly picked leaves and herbs are packed full of nutrients and enhance most dishes. I let un-used herbs go to seed providing nectar and pollen for pollinators.

Mint, Parsley and Basil are easy to grow and useful herbs to start with, here are some helpful tips from the RHS on how to grow your own herbs. Lettuce and Rocket and a range of other salad leaves can be harvested from May to November. Get seeds going in February.

4. Minimise the use of resources such as light and water

Light pollution has many negative impacts on biodiversity. In recent years there has been a lot of research showing the adverse effects of artificial light on the feeding, reproductive and growth pattern of many plants and animals.  With urbanisation light pollution is increasing.  In our gardens we may need some light, particularly on dark winter evenings or for security. In my garden any lighting which is not solar and motion activated will be kept off except for essential use.

I’m also going to be working on my rainwater collection system. Last year our waterbutts ran dry early in the summer with no chance of replenishment, so I’m looking at how I can increase the capacity in anticipation of another dry summer. The challenge is going to be sourcing butts without buying new plastic

5. Plant a tree

Every garden needs a tree. They provide structure, height and year-round interest. Trees store carbon, provide shade and a multitude of resources for wildlife including shelter and food.  Early last year I planted 3 plum trees, as well as some native species such as Crab Apple, Alder, Dog Rose, and Wild Cherry. They struggled through last years long hot summer so I’m thrilled to see them budding and coming to life at the start of this Spring. This RSPB article grow-a-tree-for-wildlife illustrates that there is a species of tree suitable for most gardens. Choose either a Native tree or a Fruit trees. I’m tempted to Collect my own tree seeds and see if I can grown an Oak tree, but that’s a long term project!