Have we lost touch with nature in our quest for perfectly manicured gardens?
Around 87% of households in the UK have gardens - nearly 23 million in total. While this percentage drops in larger cities like London, where only about 61% of residents have access to outdoor spaces, with garden sizes between 3.6 m² to over 2200 m² the potential for green areas to positively impact our ecosystem and biodiversity is enormous.
With so much land available, it's time to reconsider our gardening practices.
Proud gardeners often strive for a beautiful, tidy garden as an extension of their homes. Yet, is this really the best approach for the environment? A garden doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be vibrant and alive.
We dedicate days to garden clear-outs, spring cleanings, or winter preparations to ensure our outdoor spaces appear pristine. However, this isn’t necessarily the best strategy for promoting health and biodiversity. Embracing a more natural, less manicured approach can lead to flourishing ecosystems where plants and wildlife thrive. Rethink your approach to these issues in your garden and you can make a difference.
1. Mushrooms
If you come across brown mushrooms sprouting in your garden this autumn or winter, don’t panic! Mushrooms enhance your garden’s beauty and usually pose no harm. While their appearance may not always be appealing, they'll disappear in a few days. More importantly, they enrich the soil by breaking down organic matter and returning essential nutrients. Most mushrooms positively contribute to soil quality. But please never be tempted to eat them and definitely remove them if there is a risk of a vulnerable person eating them.
Consider mushrooms a sign of a thriving mini-ecosystem in your garden.
2. Powdery Mildew, Black Spot, and Other Fungal Diseases
For perfectionist gardeners, these challenges can create sleepless nights. While it’s tempting to reach for potent fungicides, such measures can backfire, harming your garden ecosystem and eliminating beneficial fungi along with harmful ones.
Instead, focus on improving your garden's environment. Enhance airflow, remove affected leaves and branches, and ensure proper soil drainage. Providing the right amount of organic matter helps plants fend off diseases. If necessary, consider replacing affected plants with more resilient varieties—such as swapping out peach trees, known for fungal issues, for healthy plum trees.
Ultimately, black spot on roses signifies part of the natural cycle. After leaves fall and the plant goes dormant, you'll be greeted with fresh growth come spring. Embrace these seasonal changes for a healthier garden!
3. Dead leaves, pruned branches and Christmas trees
As councils halt garden waste collections for winter, you may feel overwhelmed by fallen leaves and pruned branches, as well as Christmas tree remnants in January. Instead of resorting to the black waste bin, a fire pit, or paying for removal, adopt an eco-friendly approach.
Prune your hedges in January or February. This allows berries to serve as food for birds during the autumn and winter months and ensures you're not disturbing nesting birds from March to September.
Let dead leaves and broken branches decompose naturally under shrubs, enriching the soil and providing shelter for wildlife. You don’t need a formal compost heap; just spread the leaves and branches, and they’ll break down by spring. I like to tuck my Christmas tree trunk between the fence and larger shrubs, using its branches to protect peonies from early frosts.
Additionally, avoid burning wood from pine or coniferous trees, as it is toxic and poses health risks. The needles contain high level of nitrogen that can generate toxic gases such as hydrogen cyanide.
4. Moss
Is your lawn ‘infested’ with moss? Rather than trying to eradicate it, recognize that moss thrives in dark, damp areas where grass struggles anyway. It suppresses weeds, is evergreen, and absorbs more carbon than 275 mature trees. Since it requires no mowing and produces a significant amount of oxygen, let nature do its work and enjoy the benefits of moss in your lawn!
5. Weeds in lawn (yes! lawns again)
How about embracing the beauty of the occasional dandelion, daisy, or clover in your lawn? They boost biodiversity, provide vital food source for wildlife, and add interest to your garden. If you're concerned about their spread, consider mowing your grass right after the flowers have blossomed. This way, you can support the bees that rely on them for food while minimizing seed dispersal. Celebrate these natural additions to your lawn and enjoy the benefits they bring to your garden!
A growing number of homeowners are opting to eliminate lawns entirely. While this may not be the most practical solution for families with children who need space to play, many clients are finding joy in low-level planting combined with a network of creative pathways in their gardens. This approach not only reduces upkeep but also fosters greater biodiversity compared to traditional, high-maintenance lawns.
Plastic grass is a definite no-go. If you think it's an easy maintenance solution, you're deceiving yourself. It's detrimental to the environment, often with rubble from home extensions hidden beneath it to cut costs on waste removal. In summer, it becomes excessively hot and installers are required to wear burn-proof trousers to prevent injuries. Additionally, it is non-recyclable and retains unpleasant odours from fox and dog urine, as it has no natural drainage.
Moreover, a growing body of evidence suggests potential links to cancer. The drawbacks of plastic grass are numerous, and there are far better alternatives for your outdoor space. I can go on… So this is actually one thing YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD GET RID OF FROM YOUR GARDEN!
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