Responsible Sustainability
Responsible Sustainability
By Sarah O’Neil AKA Sarah the Gardener
It is easy to think gardening is the most natural wholesome thing in the world as it predominantly involves plants, soil, water and sunshine. However, gardening has a dirty little secret – there is an insidious layer of the unnatural lurking in many gardens. Often times this comes as a legacy from a time when innovation and improvement was prolific and new ways were considered better than the old-fashioned techniques.
Many of these new ideas transform the way we garden and are real game changers and widely adopted as the best methods for getting things done. I would be lost without irrigation piping weaving through my garden, delivering water where it was needed.
In some instances, the test of time is needed before we fully appreciate the impact of these advances that can cause more problems than they intend to fix. Glancing through the pages of my old garden guide from the 1960s shows DDT as the go to solution for whatever problem ails the garden only for it to be banned in 1989 when its problematic environmental effects were fully understood.
In a less extreme example, if, like me, you have ever had to dig up landscape fabric that promised to keep weeds out of the garden only for it to disappear below the surface of the ground with pernicious roots pinning it in place, having it perish into small chunks of plastic or breaking into long strands that get caught in the lawnmower you will understand some innovations fail to deliver on making gardening easier. Instead, they can become a bigger problem than the one it was originally trying to solve.
Short of hankering for simpler times of old where plastic and problems hadn’t been invented or discovered, considered choices are needed with the modern resources that are available. What works to achieve the grand vision for a gorgeous garden, weighed against which cause the least harm to the earth the plants are growing in.
Lawn mowers have revolutionised keeping grass looking pristine, setting the scene for the beautiful plants beyond the lawn. However, petrol powered motors are entering the firing line as environmental pollutants and in California they have been outlawed and are no longer available to purchase. My mower is on the way out, so should this influence my purchasing decision when we buy a new one?
On a more personal level, the decision could be over something a lot simpler making small change. For example, cable ties are excellent for securing all sorts of temporary frames and structures across my garden. They are quick and easy to use compared to their natural alternative – string. I’m not that great at tying knots, which eventually come loose and building the structure takes much longer than with a quick zip. In some instances, a truly natural string will perish before the season is out leaving my plants in a tangled mess on the ground. At the end of the season a structure can be undone with a quick snip and string can be sent to compost heap, but the cable tie is single use, and the landfill is its ultimate destination. Both are better and worse for different reasons.
A problem not just exclusive to the garden industry, but the packaging products are sold can be a conundrum at the garden centre. It can be as simple as voting with your dollar, and I buy the garden stakes that are stapled together with a cardboard label over the ones shrink wrapped together with plastic. They both do the same job are around the same price and the quality of the product is comparable.
If there is something specifically needed – a spray that will reliably fix an infestation, but it comes in a bottle that wouldn’t be welcome in the curb side recycling bin beside the milk and wine bottles it becomes a conscience decision: one more addition to the landfill or save a problem plant in the garden. If it the plant is a constant source of trouble, maybe it is wrong for my garden and should be replaced with something less susceptible to infestation, which in the long run saves time and effort in care and attention.
Upcycling and recycling is becoming second nature and is being absorbed into our lifestyles and culture, especially regarding domestic items. It isn’t much of a stretch to consider what is used in the garden and how it can become more efficient with what is intended to be a single use garden supply. I’m always thinking outside the box and finding alternative, creative uses for things I’ve finished with to give them a second life or send them off for recycling. It is encouraging to see most garden centres will take used pots.
Another consideration to protect our environment is making wise choices with plants. It might look pretty but if it is a notorious self seeder or potential escapee, then it may be best not to introduce it to the garden. In a small garden in the midst of suburbia it may seem possible that with gentle weeding it can be managed. However, what happens beyond the garden gate can’t be controlled. Over several seasons a plant can pop up a couple of streets over. Birds or wandering creatures can distribute seeds over great distances. Dramatic weather events resulting in flooding can relocate large chunks of garden material along the storm water network. Eventually our pristine bush, beaches, and native spaces can become invaded with plant pollutants that aren’t supposed to be there, no matter how pretty. This can cause the environment to adapt to the new inhabitants, making it inhospitable to the original occupants.
My garden is on a pristine patch of wild west coast land overlooking the ocean. If anything escapes and settles in the sand dunes – everyone will know where it has come from, so I’m extra cautious with the plants I introduce into this landscape.
As gardeners we should be aware of our responsibilities in creating beautiful natural environments. There will always be a battle between time and effort, cost and value, impact and outcome however we are in a perfect position to create a lasting legacy and protect what we enjoy for generations to come.