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Blog Action Day: Garden Pledges

Today is Blog Action Day, a day when bloggers all over the world bring one issue to their audience. This is the first Blog Action Day and the issue is the environment.

Scratch a gardener and you may well find an environmentalist underneath. We understand that we live on a beautiful planet, and we follow its rhythms – seasons and moon phases, growth and decay.

I became a gardener because I was concerned about environmental issues, and so I have always tried to be the greenest gardener that I can. Gardeners with different motivations will be at different stages along that journey – and it is a journey, you don’t wake up one morning and know that you’re as green as you can be.

There is always more we can do, and for that reason today I am encouraging gardeners everywhere to make a pledge to make next year a greener gardening year. My personal pledge is to fix up my water butts (we have four, but none of them are currently in working order) so that I can collect and use rainwater in the garden again.

For those of you who don’t have a green issue already in mind, try thinking along these lines:

Water. If you don’t have any water butts to collect rainwater, then winter is the ideal time to buy one (less demand) and get it fitted. It’s also a good time to read up on water-wise gardening – there are many techniques that will reduce the water use of your garden. Fresh water is becoming an issue in many parts of the world now and we should all be more conscious of our water use.
Compost. Waste is also a big environmental issue, and one that gardeners who compost can afford to feel smug about. Many people don’t compost because they think it’s complicated, but it’s a natural process that gardeners just give a helping hand to. There’s a style of composting to suit every garden, even windowbox gardening, so check them out and pledge to compost more next year.
Wildlife. Over the last few decades, many gardens have been hazardous to wildlife, with chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides sprayed around generously. With the advent of more ecologically-minded gardeners, and the loss of many chemicals from the arsenal, times are beginning to change. You don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy homes for wildlife – there are easy things you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly. If you have the space, plant a tree. Leave a quiet corner untidy and leave the slug pellets in the packet.
Seeds. Seeds used to be precious, handed down from generation to generation and swapped between friends. When they became commercialized, only the most profitable varieties were kept. To reverse the loss of seed biodiversity, consider buying or trading heirloom/ heritage varieties and saving your own seeds. It’s not hard to learn how and you’ll make good friends within the gardening community.
Feed. Organic gardening is all about feeding the soil, not the plants. However, there are always times when a liquid feed is needed to give a plant a boost – either because it’s ailing, or because it lives in a container and has a limited soil volume to feed in. Chemical fertilizers are a no-go area for green gardeners, but you can make your own liquid feeds. If you have a worm compost bin then you will have plenty of liquid run-off to feed plants with. If you have a source of animal manure then you can make manure tea. But the best option, if you have a spare patch of ground, is to plant comfrey, which has endless uses and makes a rich, liquid feed to boot.
Friends, not foe. Ban the chemicals and let nature achieve a balance in your garden. If you plant flowers you will attract beneficial insects, both pollinators and predators to hunt the pests. Hedgehogs and frogs will help with your slug and snail problems. Birds will dig over your soil and eat many other pests. Investigate chemical-free pest control for your garden.
Peat free. Many gardeners believe that peat does not have a viable alternative for horticultural purposes. The trouble is that peat is even more valuable where it forms – it is the keystone of an important, and increasingly rare, natural habitat. I’ve never used peat for general purposes in my garden, so I don’t miss it. Try the range of peat-free composts and find one which works for you.

These are just a few ideas of what you could do to make your garden even greener. There are many others. If you choose to make a pledge, please share it via the Comments section* so that it can inspire others to do the same.

*Some people report difficulty posting a comment on this blog. If you Preview before you Submit , you should be OK.

Posted 15 October 2007, 13:16. Posted in general.

2 Comments for Blog Action Day: Garden Pledges

I know what you mean about leaving peat in the place it came from…

I admit to using seasol and slow release varieties…
and I guess the latter is a chemical fertiliser …just interested in knowing a bit more about why you choose not to use them and your experiences that have made you go down that path? Always wanting to know more LOL.

blueblue · Oct 25, 04:05 PM
Hi blueblue, thanks for stopping by.

I was an environmentalist before I was a gardener and so it was entirely natural for me to become an organic gardener. I never got into the habit of using peat-based composts and chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so I don’t miss them. I’ve always been happy with the environmentally-sound alternatives.

Emma · Oct 25, 04:37 PM