Go green for pocket and planet

Eco-gardening benefits more than your garden, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

AS gardeners, we are the guardians of our little plots and if we view that as a microcosm of the greater whole, we can see ourselves as what Alan Titchmarsh calls ‘guardians of the planet’.

Sadly the planet is facing a tough time and while we might feel helpless in the face of the wider climate emergency, we can take ownership of our gardens and local area, and make small but important changes there.

Put together, the UK’s gardens take up an area roughly the size of Norfolk. That’s a lot of land that can be used for the good.

Key environmental concerns are carbon emissions, single-use plastic, and the devastating loss of habitats and the creatures that live there. We can all do our bit to help reverse all these trends from our homes.

Growing fruit and veg (nothing tastes better), making compost, and sowing and propagating plants is a painless way of reducing air and land miles.