How Our Gardening Practices Impact Climate Change

Impact: Chemical treatments disrupt soil health, pollute waterways, and harm beneficial insects like bees and butterflies, which are essential for pollination and biodiversity.

Solution: Use organic or natural pest controls, like neem oil or homemade insecticidal soaps. Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, can also control pests naturally. Fertilize with compost, seaweed, or organic fertilizers that support soil microbiomes.

Impact: Peat is extracted from peat bogs, which store immense amounts of carbon and provide habitats for rare species. Harvesting peat for compost releases carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Solution: Choose peat-free compost options made from sustainable materials like coconut coir, bark, or wood chips. Create your own compost with kitchen scraps, leaves, and plant trimmings to recycle nutrients back into the soil.

Impact: Fuel-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers release greenhouse gases and other pollutants, contributing to air pollution and carbon emissions.

Solution: Replace fuel-powered tools with electric or manual alternatives. Electric lawnmowers, for example, are quieter, emit no fumes, and can be powered by renewable energy. Additionally, consider reducing lawn space in favour of native plants or ground covers that don’t require mowing.

Impact: Some popular garden plants are non-native and invasive, spreading uncontrollably and outcompeting local flora. This reduces biodiversity and disrupts local ecosystems.

Solution: Choose native plants that are well-suited to the local environment and beneficial for native wildlife. These plants usually require less water and maintenance, and they help support local pollinators and other wildlife.

Impact: Raking leaves, clearing fallen branches, over mowing and cutting back plants in autumn removes natural habitats and food sources for insects and animals during winter.

Solution: Let leaves lie and limit garden tidying, especially in autumn, to provide habitat for insects, birds, and small animals. Fallen leaves enrich soil as they decompose, feeding the garden naturally. Consider creating designated “wild” areas in your garden to offer shelter and food for wildlife.

Impact: Using tap water, and planting plants that are not native results in a higher demand on limited water resources..

Solution: Install rain barrels and other methods of collecting rain water. Use drip irriagtion. Adjust watering schedules, use mulches to prevent soil moisture evaporation. Avoid peat-based compost and chemicals to stop pollution. Compost waste so soil is better at stablising carbon. Grow own flowers to avoid higher carbon footprint of buying cut flowers.