10 things we can do in our own little haven
You might think that climate change is all to do with pollution and gases and recycling, and you would be right. It is affecting all of us. Every year, the wet bits get wetter, the hot bits hotter and the dry parts dryer (yes I am still talking about the weather). As a garden designer I have really noticed how later winter has become and how early spring arrives. Where once we would have stopped mowing the lawn in October, we are now still going in December.
We can all do our bit in our own plot of land or even balcony to help protect ourselves and the planet.
Here is a list of 10 things we can all do to make our own havens more heavenly.
- Choose your plants wisely – Drought tolerant plants are the way forward, think Mediterranean.
- Save rainwater in a water butt and when you do need to water use this instead of tap water.
- Plant a hedge or trees to protect your garden from pollution, wind and to create natural shade. (hairy leaved plants are great at filtering particles – cotoneaster is perfect)
- Plant more plants on more surfaces: walls, roofs, balconies, the more plants there are the more CO2 is absorbed.
- Plant for pollinators: choose as much variety as possible with lots of seasonal flowering so that there is something for bees and butterflies and other pollinators from spring to late autumn. Lots of variety of species and colour is best.
- Reduce hard surfaces: where you can, ensure that rainwater can run off into the ground and use permeable surfaces where possible. Resin bound gravel is a smart alternative to a tarmac driveways.
- Create your own compost with food and garden waste to use on the garden and avoid buying peat compost if you can.
- Use hand or electric tools instead of petrol to cut down on pollutants
- Try to use organic methods of pest control instead of reaching for the chemical spray.
- If you still aren’t sure how you can help think of the 4 R’s. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reinvest
