Gardening for the Future

Sustainability is one of the buzz words of the 21st century – and now it has made its way into gardening talk too. Sustainable gardening aims to promote the long-term health of soil, ecosystems and people. There are plenty of benefits of gardening sustainably – sustainable gardens needs less water and maintenance and they create less waste.

Here are some tips to help you garden sustainably :

• Aim to create a diverse garden by planting a variety of indigenous and non-invasive exotic plants.
• Remove any invasive alien plants – they steal precious light, water, space and soil nutrients from other plants.
• Make your own compost, and mulch garden beds with leaves, grass clippings or shredded newspaper.
• Practise crop rotation in your vegetable garden by planting in three different areas – one for leaf veggies (like spinach), one for root veggies (like carrots) and one for legumes (like beans). Rotate all three beds each planting season so that you are growing different types of crops in different areas each year.
• Try to avoid using chemical pesticides, as these can kill beneficial insects like ladybirds and earthworms. Rather use homemade remedies, like diluted vinegar, chilli infusions or soapy solutions, or opt for an organic pesticide, where possible.
• Invest in a rainwater tank and save water during our rainy winter months. Watering your garden in summer with water that fell in winter is an enormously satisfying exercise.