A new season in the garden, & a very busy one at that, but I’ve made time to think about how I go about gardening.
We’ve been here for 2 years, so it seemed a good time to review how it’s all going, & especially my quest for sustainable gardening.
I’ve got a check-list in my head, but it helps to write it down & has made me realise that I’m not doing as well as I thought I was.
Home-made compost:
One of the most important things to improve the soil & use up waste from the kitchen & the garden. Composting is under-way in 2 big wooden bins, so it’s a waiting game.
Reduce what you bring into the garden & what you take out:
Compost for growing seeds & potting-on has been the main one recently.
Some additional garden furniture, 2 grey wicker chairs & a little sofa from Tesco for our little summer-house. The plain, brown cardboard went on the raised beds to warm up the soil, & when that’s done it’ll be shredded & added to the compost bin.
Then I discovered the local tip, where they sell items that are in reasonably good nick, furniture, children’s toys etc. I was very happy to give a new home to 2 wicker chairs for only £2 each. Check out if you have a recycling centre near you, because there are some bargains to be had.
the wicker chair from the local tip
Don’t bother with pesticides:
There’s still a battle with pests, but it’s a healthy one.
Crop rotation:
This is one way of helping plants to be healthier, disease can build up in the soil if vegetables are planted in the same place. This also applies to roses, they suffer from ‘specific replant disesease’ if planted where roses grew previously, meaning they’re more susceptible to disease.
Encourage beneficial wildlife:
The theory being that they’ll feast on pests, it’s a gradual process but eventually you get a balance. I’m attempting this by having a wide range of plants, a pond & good soil for those tiny beneficial insects.
Encourage birds:
Same as above really, but they are so good at eating pests that they deserve a special mention. They’re more likely to take up residence if there are handy nest-boxes, food, water & nesting places. I haven’t been consistent with this, especially the food, & we haven’t any nesting boxes.
Mulch, nurture & love your soil:
One of the most important things, because everything in the garden depends on it. Home made compost is key, then bought stuff, because it is difficult to make enough.
Choose the right plant for the right place.
We’ve all tried to grow a plant that we know wasn’t right for the garden, wrong soil, not enough sun etc. I’ve gradually learned to embrace what I can grow, because ultimately, it’s a waste of time, money & resources to do otherwise.
Grow a few plants from seed:
This uses up far fewer resources than buying them in, it saves money & I’m doing quite well with this one.
small plants in the shelter of the cold-frame.
Grow some food:
A window box of salad leaves, a pot of herbs or an allotment. I’ve ditched the allotment for 6 raised vegetable beds, & a few small spots in the garden. Allotments are the answer for many people, it just wasn’t near enough to where we live now. This is the first year of growing here, so it’ll be interesting to see how much produce we get from a smaller area.
A few herbs in a pot outside the kitchen door.
Make your own fertiliser:
Gather nettles & leave them to soak in a covered bucket of water, the resultant liquid, well diluted, makes a good, though smelly, nitrogen-rich feed, so it’s good for leafy greens.
Steep comfrey for a potassium-rich liquid fertiliser, good for flowering plants & fruiting ones such as tomatoes.
annual flowers grown from seed by @higgledygarden for Port Eliot – Scabious Back in Black.
Tithonia flowers
sunflowers at port Eliot
More about Higgledy Garden here
Ideas from The Royal Horticultural Society about encouraging wildlife into the garden here
If this is all new to you, just tackle one idea at a time, & please leave a comment if you have any tips to add.
Jill
all photos: Jill Anderson
Hi Jill, interesting and useful as usual. I’m trying to be as sustainable as possible, working towards a circular, or closed loop system in my garden, I’m some way off as yet but continue to think about how I garden, in as green a way as possible! My main problem has been having to buy in compost as I don’t produce enough at the moment. The plastic bags can be washed and recycled but mine have gone to a local farm that fills them with manure. I’m thinking of getting a bulk bag next year, the bag can then be reused. I’ve been trying to avoid plastic, certainly single use plastic. I was lucky enough to come across lots of small terracotta pots in an antique shop as the year so I’ve been using those. I have however got several plastic gravel trays, I couldn’t find a non plastic alternative anywhere! Have you tried coir pots? 🙂 xxx
Hello Amanda, you are doing an amazing job! I have tried coir pots & they’re fine, but I’ve only found small ones. It’s a real challenge to make enough compost, the main thing is to be aware & do as much as we can.
How do I get rid of bindweed in my brand new garden without resorting to pesticides……………? I know digging it up just chops up the roots into masses of new plants so I never do that! All advice most welcome – thank you
Hi Tanya, we have this too, so I know what a pain it is, especially when it sneakily grows amongst other plants.
I pull it up whenever I see it, & try to get it when it’s very small, the root systems go very deep on mature plants. It keeps growing, but gradually gets weaker.
I’ve read about sticking canes in borders to encourage it
to climb up them, then it's easier to spot & deal with.Finally, if you've bare soil & know it's lurking underneath, cover the soil some kind of material to exclude light & moisture.
Eternal vigilance is the only way!
Jill
Many thanks indeed!
You’re welcome Tania!
oops … meant Tanya.
Growing plants from seed is great fun but it can be really difficult, especially if you’re not very disciplined with your watering. I got some of these (https://www.harrodhorticultural.com/80-cell-self-watering-seed-starting-system-pid8126.html) to help me out in that regard so I could stay on top of growing everything.
I don’t have a problem watering seeds as they grow Pete, I’m so keen to see them grow that I’m always checking them.
I can see this would be useful if you were away at this crucial time though….. or just busy with other things!