Sustainability within gardening is going to become a key trend of the 2022 season. With a greater push towards an environmentally friendly approach, we are seeing a change in attitudes across the board. But there are many who are confused about just where to begin their sustainable gardening journey; luckily, we have outlined below how you can do just that!
Compost
Creating your own compost heap is as good a place as any to begin with. This is a great way to recycle organic waste and food into a healthy, rich fertiliser for your soil. Waste food products, such as vegetable peelings and tea bags, can be used to add to your compost. The material within the heap can be turned regularly, and since compost is full of highly beneficial nutrients, this will benefit the health of your soil and improve the sustainability of your garden.
Choosing compost that is peat-free has been shown to be a fantastic way of improving damage from climate change and stabilising the cycle of carbon through carbon storage. Alternatives to peat that can be used in your garden include wood or coconut fibre, and other organic matter.
Conserving rainwater
While considered justifiably obvious, conserving rainwater presents one of the easiest ways anyone can be more sustainable. Not only is it cost-free, but rainwater is also free from chemicals regularly found in tap water such as fluoride or chlorine, thereby supplying the plants and soil in your garden with a more natural source of water that will contribute to their health and growth. If you have the opportunity to install systems within your garden that can effectively use and store rain, such as water butts, this will also be sustainably relieving strain placed on the multitude of reservoirs across the country in the months where demand for water is high.
Produce grown at home
Growing produce in your garden year-round is a great way to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency. Even just focusing on a few key vegetables and fruits each month is enough to provide something for your family consistently throughout the year. Not only will this produce be cleaner than that which is produced in bulk farms, it will also lessen the demand our society places on imported crops. Foods that are heavily imported, such as courgettes or tomatoes, are relatively easy to grow yourself at home, saving both the environment and your pocket at the same time!
In particularly challenging winters, it can be a good idea to make jams, freeze apples and perform pickling to supply home grown produce throughout the year. Leeks, kale, celeriac, chard and parsnips work incredibly well for providing fresh winter vegetables. Stored dried borlotti beans and winter squash can also add exceptional homegrown flavour to recipes in March and February.
Bug Hotel
A final way to improve the sustainability of your garden would be through the instalment of a bug hotel. When you think that gardeners can essentially help combat habitat loss by providing refuge for an array of different types of spiders, bees, ladybirds or woodlice, this seems a creative and exciting new way to cultivate some variety in your garden! Being able to see insects up-close from the outside can also help to broaden your understanding of nature and the way that these animals live on a day-to-day basis; especially if there are some we’re more afraid of than others!
Garden Supplies are a family run business delivering sustainable garden supplies right to your door. We have been serving clients in and around Gloucester since 1991. If you want more information about our products and services, take a look at our website www.gardensuppliesglos.co.uk or give us a call on 01453 547299 – we’d be happy to hear from you!