10. Gardening

Your garden could provide an oasis for wildlife but using chemicals, planting monocultures and making gardens easy to maintain discourages this. Most people waste money on herbicides, fungicides and pesticides when this can be avoided through simple techniques like companion planting.

One of the biggest tragedies of recent years is the use of peat as a soil conditioner. Removing it from rare peat bogs destroys some of the most sensitive ecosystems on our planet. A better way to improve your soil is to start a compost heap, which is also an ideal way to dispose of organic garden and kitchen waste. The Council’s green waste collections are great in that they remove bulky material from landfill, but fuel used by lorries and handling equipment still contributes to climate change. If you can, much better to compost your own and keep the goodness in your own garden!

Local contacts

Beech Bank Worms

Beech Bank Farm, Wem, SY4 5UG

T: 01939 233648

Local farmer selling Tiger worms which speed up composting process. Compost your own green waste – and get a worm bin!

COMPOST

Moo Poo

Longden Manor, Plealey, Pontesbury

T: 01743 790459

Organic cow manure, virtually odourless fertilizer

Muckers Mulch

T: 01743 850194/ 850024/ 850256

For compost made from forest wastes & horse manure, pure worm casts, peat free composts. Free delivery within 10 miles of Shrewsbury.  www.montfordmuck.co.uk

Recycle for Shropshire

T: 0845 0732001

W: www.recyclenow.com/compost

Subsidised home compost bins, various sizes delivered to your home. (quote SHR03RDD1)

Shropshire WildlifeTrust

Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury

T: 01743 284280

Composted bracken is sometimes available, also other non-peat composts.

Shropshire Master Composters

E: composthelp@yahoo.co.uk

T: 01743 281038 (Sustainability Officer)

Advice to groups and individuals on home composting by volunteers. Phone or text your number to 07780 740172.

Tree Work

The Good Tree Co.

2 Longden Wood Cottages, SY5 8HJ

T: 01743 718175

E: jfinlow@thegoodtreecompany.fsnet.co.uk

Certified Arborist (tree surgery).

James Cheese

T: 01694 781463

On site green waste shredding.

Tree Officer

Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council.

T: 01743 281318.

TOP TIPS

Seeds

Terre De Semences/Association Kokopelli

Ripple Farm, Crundale,

Canterbury, CT4 7EB

T: 01227 731 815

W: www.terredesemences.com

Thousands of organic seeds and growing advice.

W: www.seedysunday.org

T: 01273 424060

Promotes swapping of seeds and the growing of local plants, and preservation of biodiversity.

Organic seeds

W: www.OrganicCatalogue.com

T: 0845 1301304

Also sell books etc published by Garden Organic (see p32)

Suffolk Herbs

T: 01376 572456

W: www.suffolkherbs.com

Organic seeds.

Others

DEFRA Scientific Services

T: 01885 482673

For advice on beekeeping and animal husbandry.

Oak Barn Centre

Clee St. Margaret, Craven Arms, SY7 9D

T: 01584 823 609

Forest Gardening, Permaculture courses, singing events.

Shropshire Beekeepers Association

T: 01743 791081

Can safely remove swarms of bees.

Shropshire Organic Gardeners (SOGS)

T: 01939 260935

W: www.shropshireorganicgardeners.org.uk

Active society of organic gardeners. Talks and visits. Watch out for Potato Day, where you can buy organic seed spuds and eat spud lunch, usually 2nd weekend in February.

Water Butts – Orderline T: 0870 7871414

Look out for Harcostar child proof butts from £30.

From garden centres and DIY Stores.

Further afield

Centre for Alternative Technology

Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 9AZ

T: 01654 705950

W: www.cat.org.uk

Has composting and gardening information, catalogue sells garden items, so does Natural Collection, see Clothing section, page 11.

Fertile Fibre

Withington Court, Withington, Herefordshire HR1 3RJ

T: 01432 853111 F: 01432 850191

E: info@fertilefibre.co.uk

W: www.fertilefibre.co.uk

Peat-free compost made from Coir (coconut husk)

Green Gardener

Brook Hill, Blofield NR13 4LB

T: 01603 715096

W: www.greengardener.co.uk

Effective and natural pest control.

National Wildflower Centre

Court Hey Park, Roby Road, Liverp’l, L16 3NA

T: 0151 738 1913

Promotes new wildflower habitats, and sells seeds and plants.

Garden Organic (formerly HDRA)

Ryton Organic Gardens, Coventry, CV8 3LG

T: 02476 303517

W: www.gardenorganic.org.uk

Dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening. Heritage (i.e no longer obtainable from seed companies) seeds can be obtained by joining Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library.

The Organic Gardening Catalogue

T: 0845 1301304

W: www.OrganicCatalogue.com

The Permaculture Association

London, WC1N 3XX

T: 0845 4581805

W: www.permaculture.org.uk

The Sensory Trust

Watering Lane Nursery, St. Austell, PL26 6BE

W: www.sensorytrust.org.uk

Promotes inclusive landscape design.

Soil Association

Bristol House, 40-56 Victoria St.

Bristol, BS1 6BY

T: 0117 314 5000

W: www.soilassociation.org.uk

Now 60 years old!

Wriggly Wrigglers

T: 0800 216990

For worm bins and accessories, plus bird boxes, tools, natural pest control.

Annually UK gardeners contribute to the 3m tonnes of plastic waste, with discarded plastic plant pots. Buy biodegradable flowerpots

W: www.earthbuddy.co.uk

Water in your garden

Water is likely to become more scarce. Although we don’t get many hosepipe bans, there are other reasons to cut back on water use - pumping, cleaning and distributing water all take energy. Sprinklers waste water too. (see Water meters - Energy section)

If you’ve got anywhere you can fit a water butt, then do so. A shed, sloping roof, greenhouse or conservatory can all provide plenty of water. You can get a water butt, made from recycled plastic, for about £30–40. You can also divert grey water from your bath or washing machine onto the garden, Kits available from local plumbers. Butts and diverters available from DIY stores and garden centres.

You can cut down the amount of water you need by adding compost, peat free soil conditioner or the contents of used gro bags to your soil and digging it in. Using similar materials as a mulch (at least 3” thick) on top of damp soil conserves water. If you have nothing else, use multiple sheets of wetted newspaper weighed down with soil.

Unexpected consequences

Avoid using petrol-powered lawn mowers and tools as they release greenhouse gases

Because people concrete over their front gardens for car parking, water can run off in heavy rains, overpowering sewage systems, so causing flooding in towns and cities.

The outdoor use of Gas Patio Heaters in gardens has reached spectacular proportions, added to by the smoking ban in public places.

These heat the universe, and are such an obvious waste of fuel it hardly needs saying. Gas fired barbecues are culprits too!

Security and outdoor lighting add to light pollution, global warming, waste energy, and prevent us from seeing the night sky. Outdoor lighting should be solar-powered, and point downwards.

Cut flowers are increasingly grown abroad, and then flown first to Holland, and then here. You also don’t know what pesticides etc have been used. This is a huge waste of energy! Grow some flowers in your own garden – better for the environment, fresher, and far nicer.