PLANTING TO SAVE THE PLANET

Thanks to Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough, we’re all aware of the climate emergency and the loss of wildlife unfolding around us. Many of us wonder what we can do about it – there are so many conflicting messages and it can feel utterly overwhelming. The good news is that every garden owner can have a beneficial impact without waiting for government policy or global shifts in culture – it’s just a question of understanding how.

Gardens have the potential to capture and store (sequester) carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and collectively they have the potential to make a real impact on climate change. When we design gardens, we question how we can maximise this positive impact. We use a carbon calculator to check that the carbon sequestered will offset the emissions (produced through building the garden) within five years if possible. We design with longevity in mind; the idea is that once the carbon ’debt’ is paid, the garden will continue sequestering carbon well into the future.

Having focused on hard landscaping in Sustainable garden design, here we discuss how planting can be utilised in a sustainable way.

SUSTAINABLE PLANTING

Generally speaking, plants have a positive impact on the environment, and all plants have a role in sequestering carbon. Be generous with the areas allocated to planting in your garden – in doing so, you’ll create habitat for wildlife as well as a green oasis to immerse yourself in. When we choose plants, resilience and diversity are front of mind. There’s a lot to be said for the ‘right plant, right place’ mantra – planting to suit the different micro-conditions within a garden not only keeps it looking interesting but requires less maintenance too. For instance selecting plants that enjoy sunny, dry conditions in areas of full sun, so they don’t require copious amounts of water to stay alive. Plants can be chosen for a purpose – ‘functional planting’, as it’s called. For example specific moisture-loving plants can help soak up excess water in a boggy area of the garden, saving the surrounding areas from becoming waterlogged in wet weather.

Avoid planting a garden in summer if you can help it, due to the amount of water needed to get the plants established; planting in spring and autumn will be much more economical. Sowing seeds over larger areas is less carbon-heavy than buying individual plants in plastic pots – we try to introduce areas of meadow style planting where possible, a perennial ‘meadow’ sown from seed can make an interesting alternative to the classic perennial border. 

ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY COMPOSTS

The compost you choose also impacts carbon footprint. Many commercial composts contain peat. So why is this a problem? Peat is harvested from naturally occurring peat bogs, 95% of which have already been lost in the UK, and these bogs take centuries to form and provide a niche habitat for plants and wildlife, as well as lowering carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. Depleting one habitat to benefit another is clearly not environmentally sustainable, so it’s worth seeking out a peat-free compost – there are quite a few to choose from!

LAWNS AND CARBON FOOTPRINT

So, surely an emerald green lawn is beneficial in tackling the effects of climate change? Afraid not! So here’s the thing. Lawns were traditionally made up of two native grass species, Fescues and Bent. Both are fairly drought tolerant and naturally creep, so over time fill the gaps. In the 1980s, Dwarf Rye Grass was brought over from Italy, initially intended for sports pitches due to it’s affordability. Since then it has almost entirely replaced Fescues and Bent in turf sold for gardens, and this has created a sustainability issue. Why? Because the fatter blades require much more water and fertiliser to keep them looking green and, as it grows twice as fast as the native grasses, it requires more frequent mowing. It also doesn’t creep, meaning that there are many more bare patches. In short, it is very high maintenance, and this is pretty carbon intensive, especially when you consider that there are 15 million lawns in the UK!

So, is there an alternative? Yes, there is. It’s worth investigating clover lawns and species-rich lawns, which contain wildflowers as well as a blend of different grasses. These require less mowing, much less water (due to their deeper root systems), will stay green through summer and are also beneficial to insects and pollinators. We try to use these in our designs, but not necessarily for the entire area of lawn (depending on the needs of our clients) – even a small area will benefit the environment.

PLANTING TREES IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Trees are the ultimate carbon sequesters, a long-lived tree will absorb vast amounts of carbon over the course of its life. Planting trees in the garden will be enormously beneficial – don’t be afraid to do this, the key is choosing a species appropriate to the environment, location and the size of the plot. Think resilience and diversity once again. As designers we often use multiples of the same species of tree to create visual unity and echo the character of natural woodland. However where we have the space, we choose a mix of species for diversity. This strengthens the resilience of the garden in the face of our warming climate and the increased number of pathogens. As more of our native trees have become susceptible to diseases like Ash dieback, we need to look for disease-resistant alternatives, sometimes turning to non-native species that have similar qualities. Rest assured the ‘right’ tree can be found for most locations.

So, ultimately planting a garden is a really positive step in tackling the climate crisis, and in enhancing your own living environment. Bringing in a garden designer will amplify this further and ensure that the garden survives into the future.