| Ten Rules of Eco Gardening |
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| posted Aug 7, 2007 12:42:04 PM | To All |
Found an awesome list of rules to follow for conscious gardening!*
The Ten Commandments
- Thou shalt put the right plant in the right place: If you choose your plants carefully, once they are established, it should be possible to achieve a non-irrigation policy in most gardens.
- Thou shalt not use peat: peat bogs are an essential part of the ecosystem and once they have been harvested, they are gone for ever. There are now so many excellent alternatives to peat that it has become impossible to justify its use in domestic gardens.
- Thou shalt recycle garden waste: composting is the key to successful garden management. Once you start turning kitchen waste, grass cuttings, etc into valuable mulch, you’ll never burn or chuck out garden rubbish again.
- Thou shalt reuse non-biodegradable products: Before you throw anything out, ask yourself: is there still life in it? Many plastic containers can be reused, although a thorough clean is a good idea to prevent disease.
- Thou shalt minimise the use of chemicals: When I studied practical horticulture, I was taught that, even if you intended to garden organically in the long term, it was justifiable to zap a badly neglected, weed-infested plot with glyphosate at the outset and thereafter keep on top of things with a regime of vigilant prevention rather than cure. Unless you are prepared to wait months for pernicious perennial weeds to give up the ghost beneath thick sheets of black polythene or old carpet, this is still the most practical approach, though purists may disagree.
- Thou shalt leave a messy bit: a pile of logs, long grass and fallen leaves are an ideal habitat for beneficial wildlife. Encourage hedgehogs, ladybirds and beetles into your garden, and you will have an army of aphid, slug and snail-eaters permanently on call — far better than reaching for the bug gun.
- Thou shalt use hard landscaping with sensitivity: it is worth questioning where materials such as stone, timber and gravel have been sourced and looking at their impact on the environment. Before buying new materials, consider whether you could use something reclaimed or recycled.
- Thou shalt use lighting responsibly: light pollution is irritating for neighbours, confuses birds and is a waste of electricity. Restrict the use of everyday outdoor lighting to practical security or safety lights.
- Thou shalt teach thy children where food comes from: If we are really going to change habits in the future, we have to tempt our kids away from their computers and televisions and inspire in them a genuine love of nature and respect for their planet.
*Visit the Times Online article for more tips and full descriptions
I know some of you like SuperMom, who teaches her kids about where food comes from, already take some of these steps, and I think that's awesome. I also know there's quite a few gardeners on the forums, and if you have anything to add to the list, please do!
Edited by: GranolaJoe on Aug 7, 2007 12:45:11 PM |
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"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
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| Ten Rules of Eco Gardening |
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| posted Apr 9, 2008 8:51:57 AM | To All |
| I live on 3 acres in the California foothills. I am required to clear 100 feet around my home for fire safety, which means I have to clear a large section of native plants/weeds, much of which is fairly steep hillside. What is the greenest way of doing this? My options, according to my neighbors, are weedeating, landscaping with gravel, or herbicides (either pre-emergent or killing the weeds as they sprout. I have burned up 2 electric weedeaters, so the down side of that one is using a gas weedeater. Pre-emergent gives the area a "Silent Spring" look. Any thoughts or studies on the issue? |
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| posted Apr 23, 2008 7:50:18 PM | To All |
As a former California resident (and a former life in the insurance industry) I can relate to what your asking about, and faced the same dilemma years ago.
What my family ended up doing was weedeating and landscaping with gravel. Then in one spot we created a rock garden, and placed a water pond in another. With the addition of some potted plants and potted shrubs around the area we were able to maintain a natural sense of beauty around our home.
I've tried some natural herbicides before, and they seem to work OK. They work pretty effectively on small weeds, however I haven't found one that does much to weeds that are more substantial.
I now live in Washington, and on our property where we have a problem with stuborn weeds growing too close to our home we have graveled it in and done the same as my family did back home. I use the natural herbicide to prevent new growth from coming up through certain spots, and it seems to work pretty well for just that. |
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Joy Jackson, Fitness and Lifestyle Coach
piceanjoy@gmail.com
www.joyjackson.net
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