CLIMATE ACTION
How do you do it ?
Christine ’ s top tips : n First of all , it does not have to be a ‘ proper garden ’ – and it could just be a small island where the wheels of your car don ’ t go n It can be as cheap and simple , or as elaborate , as you want it to be n Remove some , or all , of your hard surface
n If you remove hard surface in the area you normally park , put down a reinforced mesh there instead , which is relatively inexpensive – leave the soil or underneath to do its own thing n Any area you don ’ t use for parking , you could leave as soil or green n See what happens – you might be surprised what seeds and plants ‘ arrive ’ on the wind n Or , you might like to buy a few low-growing plants to put in ; if you have space , you could even put in flowering shrubs which are very attractive and good for nectar n Take a look on the front gardens pages of the Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) and the London National Park City websites for more tips and advice .
“ But greening your front garden or drive absorbs rainwater and reduces run-off , meaning the risk of flooding is reduced . There has been concern for a long time that water pollution , and erosion , in the River Brent has largely been caused by run-off from local hard surfacing – particularly from front drives .
“ Hard surfaces reflect the heat back and make it hotter in built-up areas including inside people ’ s houses , which is called the ‘ heat island effect ’, whereas gardens and greening have a significant cooling effect .
“ Gardens provide – by far – the most support for nectar production in towns and cities . Much more than verges and parks . And front gardens are as useful as any garden space . People are starting to realise we need to do this to support the pollinating insects who are so crucial for our own food production . By doing so , we are also creating habitats for other insects and food for birds .”
THAT IS NOT ALL … Christine continued : “ The plants also help to absorb air pollution – especially if you have hedges , bushes or trees – and the plants and soil also absorb carbon dioxide . So , greening is helping to clear the air we breathe and cut our carbon footprint into the bargain . “ And greening even cuts the cost and time involved in maintaining a hard surface . A greened area is largely self-sustaining and resilient – you don ’ t need to do much . There is no need for toxic weedkiller or cleaning products , and no need to replace or repair it every few years like you do with hard surfaces .”
ELECTRIC CAR ? GREEN YOUR DRIVE There is a concern that the move towards electric vehicles to help combat climate change might actually have an unwitting bad side effect – by leading more people to pave their front garden to charge their car overnight . Christine said there is a need for more fastcharging infrastructure to make it easier to power your car , but : “ If you want to be green with an electric vehicle , then you should green your drive too . I don ’ t think people are joining the dots .” Read the full story , and watch a video interview with Christine , at aroundealing . com / news / front‐gardens
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