Gardens are set to become increasingly important in the future. They’re great for human health and wellbeing, they can help maintain biodiversity and they can even remove carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.
As the impacts of climate change make themselves ever more apparent, the positive impacts of gardens will become ever more important. Here are nine ways you can maximise the benefits:
Trees and plants help tackle climate change by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. They can reduce the risk of flooding by slowing down rainwater runoff. Planting climbers on your house will help keep it cool during summer heatwaves and reduce heating costs in winter. Growing a hedge in your front garden can even capture particulate pollution, such as exhaust from cars and lorries. For more information see our Planting for the environment pages.
Growing a range of different plants in your garden is great for building resilience. If extreme weather such as flooding or drought damages some plants, others will be fine. As weather patterns shift, some insects that depend on particular flowers might suffer, so plant a diverse variety of pollinator friendly plants with different flowering times.
Green roofs and walls can result in year–round home energy savings due to a cooling effect in summer and an insulating effect in winter. Improve energy efficiency through use of technologies and try to reduce the use of petrol–powered tools. Hiring or sharing tools is the most environmentally friendly option; choose corded electric tools where possible.
Water butts are a brilliant solution to some of the problems being created by climate change. They help prevent flooding by reducing the load on drains during rainstorms, and help conserve water during droughts. Look for water butts with a larger than standard capacity to ensure a sufficient water supply over the summer. Select plants and design strategies better suited to your local conditions.
Peatlands store huge amounts of carbon. Harvesting the peat to use for composts is an environmental disaster, both for the biodiversity of the area from which it is harvested, and on a global climate scale. Look, ask for and use peat-free composts. There are now plenty of high-quality peat-free composts sold across the UK. See our peat pages for more information.
Compost as much garden and kitchen waste as you can. Adding home-made Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.
To grow well, plants need a wide range of nutrients in various amounts, depending on the individual plant and its stage of growth. The three key plant nutrients usually derived from soil are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, while carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are absorbed from the air. Other vital soil nutrients include magnesium, calcium and sulphur. Most garden soils contain a sufficient amount of nutrients to promote healthy plant growth.
Adopt the four Rs. Reduce – the use of resources in your garden wherever possible, Reuse – household materials and seasonal items year on year, Recycle – your garden waste, plastic, glass and metals and Reinvest – help stimulate demand for recycled products by buying recycled items.
As a first choice, avoid the use of chemicals in the garden. If required, use products with a lower carbon footprint, such as homemade organic fertilisers. Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Adopt a combination of good plant biosecurity, biological, cultural and chemical controls in order to minimise the spread of pests and diseases.
Please – never bring plants back from your holidays, and only buy from reputable suppliers (this means both online and at plant nurseries). Otherwise you risk introducing new pests and diseases into the UK.
Also, please make sure that you dispose of garden waste in a responsible manner. Genenerally this means either by Composting is the process by which plant material is heaped together to rot (decompose) to produce compost. Garden or kitchen waste can be broken down over time in a compost bin or heap to produce crumbly organic matter that can be used as a mulch, soil conditioner and a constituent of potting compost.
