Very interesting read, thank you. Is it naive to think small efforts such as what can be achieved in a small or even tiny suburban garden, like mine, can really have a positive impact on the wider problem? I admit to switching off to the David Attenborough's of this world, as I find it all so overwhelming doom and gloom. I suspect I'm not the only one either! I feel more people would open up to the challenges if they felt they could make a difference.
I think it’s great doing what we can, such as in gardens and with life choices. But it’s important we don’t just rely on that because unfortunately, it isn’t enough on its own. What companies and governments do have the biggest impact, so we do all have to collectively keep pressure on them to do things like switch from fossil fuels, reduce plastic use, stop destroying natural habitat etc. As those are the main problems that are caused by a small number of people but affect us all. So I think yes, keep doing what we are all doing in gardens, but don’t let that lull us into a false sense of security - find ways we call all cope with to keep the pressure on Governments. It’s difficult because the reality of the situation is bad.
When I moved to Norfolk thirty years ago, it was counteracting the lack of water ( the time of Beth Chatto's gravel garden) that was the chief concern, and now the battle is with flooding. Much of my garden is sodden from October to late spring and I have had to rethink completely what I grow.
Everyone with a garden can grow wildflowers and plant native shrubs and trees. I’m really afraid that the general population is really in denial about humans destroying nature. Thank you for sharing the truth.
It's important we focus on what we can do in gardens, but even more important we all focus on our Government representatives to act on managing energy production and companies producing stuff, like supermarkets pumping out excessive plastic
I mean everything we buy is in plastic. It’s not the supermarket, it’s the big corporations that are producing and packaging that agree to use the plastic.
That's true, you're right it is a bigger problem than just the supermarkets as I say in the original reply but could have been clearer. However, supermarkets are a big part of the problem, they provide us with the majority of goods most of us buy on a weekly basis, and they have the buying power, as well as producing their own lines of produce. They've done some good things to deal with plastic, but could go much further. But in essence, I agree it is a problem shared by all companies, including supermarkets.
There was a good interview with Dr. Ian Bedford on The Wildlife Garden Podcast in 2021. One of the things he talked about was the transient nature of gardens; a garden could be providing habitat and sequestering carbon in its soils, but it could change hands tomorrow and be gravelled over. I think about this in relation to my father's garden, he has gardened the same site for nearly sixty years and the soil must be incredibly rich from repeated mulching and manuring. But it really has no formal protection and when he passes on it could be lost. Soil is such an incredible resource which really enjoys no protection.
Very interesting read, thank you. Is it naive to think small efforts such as what can be achieved in a small or even tiny suburban garden, like mine, can really have a positive impact on the wider problem? I admit to switching off to the David Attenborough's of this world, as I find it all so overwhelming doom and gloom. I suspect I'm not the only one either! I feel more people would open up to the challenges if they felt they could make a difference.
I think it’s great doing what we can, such as in gardens and with life choices. But it’s important we don’t just rely on that because unfortunately, it isn’t enough on its own. What companies and governments do have the biggest impact, so we do all have to collectively keep pressure on them to do things like switch from fossil fuels, reduce plastic use, stop destroying natural habitat etc. As those are the main problems that are caused by a small number of people but affect us all. So I think yes, keep doing what we are all doing in gardens, but don’t let that lull us into a false sense of security - find ways we call all cope with to keep the pressure on Governments. It’s difficult because the reality of the situation is bad.
When I moved to Norfolk thirty years ago, it was counteracting the lack of water ( the time of Beth Chatto's gravel garden) that was the chief concern, and now the battle is with flooding. Much of my garden is sodden from October to late spring and I have had to rethink completely what I grow.
That sounds like a tough challenge, flooded in winter, dry in summer. Have any plants really stood out as able to cope with that?
Everyone with a garden can grow wildflowers and plant native shrubs and trees. I’m really afraid that the general population is really in denial about humans destroying nature. Thank you for sharing the truth.
It's important we focus on what we can do in gardens, but even more important we all focus on our Government representatives to act on managing energy production and companies producing stuff, like supermarkets pumping out excessive plastic
I totally agree
Supermarkets don’t make the plastic. It needs to be stopped at the source.
What do you mean?
I mean everything we buy is in plastic. It’s not the supermarket, it’s the big corporations that are producing and packaging that agree to use the plastic.
That's true, you're right it is a bigger problem than just the supermarkets as I say in the original reply but could have been clearer. However, supermarkets are a big part of the problem, they provide us with the majority of goods most of us buy on a weekly basis, and they have the buying power, as well as producing their own lines of produce. They've done some good things to deal with plastic, but could go much further. But in essence, I agree it is a problem shared by all companies, including supermarkets.
There was a good interview with Dr. Ian Bedford on The Wildlife Garden Podcast in 2021. One of the things he talked about was the transient nature of gardens; a garden could be providing habitat and sequestering carbon in its soils, but it could change hands tomorrow and be gravelled over. I think about this in relation to my father's garden, he has gardened the same site for nearly sixty years and the soil must be incredibly rich from repeated mulching and manuring. But it really has no formal protection and when he passes on it could be lost. Soil is such an incredible resource which really enjoys no protection.