life
GARDENING
Sally studied horticulture at Duchy College, Cornwall (Bsc (Hons) Horticulture)
before breaking into gardening journalism.
Eco Island
gardening
Sally Charrett
If you have a question for Sally need some advice or even a suggestion for an article
then please email: [email protected]
Sally Charrett gives a few pointers on how Island gardeners can do their bit
for the environment, plus jobs for April/May
Last year saw the launch of ‘Eco Island’,
an ambitious yet commendable long-term
commitment by the IOW Council and
partners to dramatically reduce the
Island’s carbon footprint by 2020. The
Big Green picnic that showcased ideas for
greener living, was well attended, proving
that families and individuals are tuning
in to green thinking and want to find out
more on doing their bit for sustainable
living.
When it comes to gardening in a green
way, you’d be forgiven for thinking that
gardeners already naturally do their bit
for the environment. But even simple acts
of gardening can have environmental
implications. The steps you can take
to reduce or eliminate these may seem
negligible but ‘every little bit counts’.
Here’s a one-stop checklist for greening up
in the garden:
Eco lawn
Wildflower meadows are a magnet for
wildlife. Often tricky to establish, try
instead mowing up to a certain point,
leaving the rest to grow long – perhaps
with a path mown through the middle –
and see what develops. Grass flowers are
actually very graceful, and the bees will
80
thank you for not exterminating clover
and buttercups. To add a bit more colour,
grub out patches and plant wildflower
plugs in the autumn. If your lawn grass
is of the vigorous rye variety, sowing
yellow rattleseed will help to reduce its
dominance allowing the wildflowers to
flourish.
Timber and paving
When you are buying timber or paving
for the garden, check whether it has
been ethically sourced. Look out for the
FSC logo on wood (Forest Stewardship
Council), which tracks the timber through
all stages of processing. Where possible,
recycle and re-use old wood.
If you are planning on paving over your
front garden, selecting porous concrete
allows rain water to percolate down into
the land, rather than putting pressure
on storm drains. Many hard landscaping
companies such as Jewson and Marshalls
are now offering this eco-friendly option.
Peat
Gardeners are being urged to choose
peat-free compost, as peat harvesting
destroys wetland habitats that have formed
over thousands of years. Gardening
Which? recommend New Horizon Organic
Multipurpose Peat Free compost, which is
also suitable for seed sowing. Dalefoot’s
wool compost, containing bracken and
wool claims to be carbon-neutral.
Water
Reduce the need to rely on mains water,
especially during hot and dry summers,
by installing a water butt. Water your
plants efficiently by doing so either in
the morning or afternoon and direct the
watering can rose at the plant’s roots, not
the foliage canopy. Use water-saving gel
when planting up hanging baskets.
Recycling
Old loo rolls, tomato tins, juice and milk
cartons make great seed sowing and
potting on vessels. Much of what gets
thrown in the kitchen bin can be turned
into compost – eggshells, tea bags, veggie
peelings, even that old woollen jumper.
How about going shabby chic in the
garden and turning old shopping baskets,
bbq’s, teapots or welly boots into planters?
Wildlife
Even the most desert-like of gardens with
only a lowly patch of lawn and single
The Island's most loved magazine