Tips for a Greener Garden

Making use of resources, recycling and buying well

The Garden for me is part of a big circle; there are things from the kitchen which go on the compost , the compost goes on the ground for the vegetables and it's given that extra bit of kick from the Chickens Droppings!

The Garden is ideal territory for re-cycling. Sure you can purchase eco-friendly raised beds, but it's still not up to the satisfaction of making your own from Pallets or other bits of wood. If you go down to almost any Allotment you will see Sheds, Tables, Chairs etc. made out of all sorts of waste material. It's a re-cycling dream world !

But the thing which sticks out the most is the fact that it's somewhere where you can grow your own food. Not only can you eat vegetables as they are, but make Jams, Chutneys and Relishes galore ! Farming has become so intense now that in many cases flavours of the vegetables have gone with the wind. Growing them yourself gives you that flavour back plus of course you have the satisfaction of running your own 'Home Farm' no matter what area you have.

Composting

Good compost heaps are made of almost anything that breaks down. Alongside the normal grass cuttings etc. you can put used cardboard boxes, paper, old carpet (non man made fibres). I have a theory with kitchen waste - After deciding if it's something I can use for something else or not, - if it breaks down it goes in the Compost Heap, if it doesn't but it burns, you put it on the bonfire and the rest is disposed off in the correct manner.

Fertilizers and Growing Composts

Always buy eco-friendly products and avoid anything in Spray Cans, the ingredients may be good environmentally, but what's the point if it's put inside a can which will eventually make out Ozone layer even thinner than it is already!
If you live in more rural parts, you'll often find a Farmer or Smallholder who is only too pleased to let you help yourself to some good Cows muck!

Chickens

Well, there's enough pages and information on this website for you to digest, but Chicken Keeping is becoming quite the norm now. It is not uncommon to have a conversation in a group of people and find that no one keeps them, or they're about to. By keeping your own Chickens you are reducing the number of Hens kept in Battery Farms and they are as free range as you want them to be!

All in all, what delight you have when on a Summers Day you have a Omelet alongside Vegetables and Salads entirely from your own garden - and all for the price of a packet of seeds and a few Chickens !

The Garden Shed

They say the Garden is an extra room to a house, what about the Garden Shed. This has become a symbol for putting tools in, storing the Lawnmower and potting seeds etc., but what is a Log Cabin ? Just a variation of a Garden Shed.

A 10' x 8' Shed for instance is larger than many second or third bedrooms and with the right kind of walling etc. it can be made into a very comfortable eco-friendly environment, heating and lighting costs are minimal. Most are made from Wood or Plastic, so environmentally friendly. What better place to have an Office or a Hideaway ! You can spend a small fortune on a Home Extension - but a 10 x 8 Shed - £300 or so, nothing better.


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