GARDENING SUPPORTING OUR EARTH
Top 3 things you could do this year in your outdoor space
Earth Day has just passed and it’s National Gardening Week this week, let’s celebrate the life that flourishes beneath our feet and commit to giving back to the earth by nurturing and replenishing this vital resource.
- The Soil
- The Air
- The Bees
No 1. The Soil
The soil is more than just dirt, it’s a complex ecosystem teeming with life. From microscopic bacteria to earthworms, a web of organisms work tirelessly to break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, and maintain soil structure. Yet, modern agricultural practices and urban development have taken a toll on this precious resource, leading to soil degradation and erosion at an alarming rate.
As stewards of the earth, it’s our responsibility to replenish and protect the soil for future generations. One way to give back to the earth is by practicing sustainable gardening techniques such as composting, mulching, and crop rotation. Composting kitchen scraps and garden waste not only reduces landfill waste but also enriches the soil with essential nutrients, improving its fertility and water retention capacity.
What you can do:
Lay some cardboard on your borders.
Mulch with leaves and grass cuttings.
Dig your garden scraps into the soil.
Work with nature at replenishing not removing.
Give Back To The Soil.
Sheet Mulching & Enriching The Soil
No 1: Video Reel – Sheet Mulching
No 2. The Air
Plant a tree. Dwarf trees you can grow in large pots, in borders or as features. We take so much from the air everyday. Plant some flowers. Add in a pot or create a new space. Think about those bulbs you could plant for that huge winter gap they have. Without the work of the bees we wouldn’t exist.
Embracing organic gardening methods and avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers can help preserve the delicate balance of soil ecosystems. These chemicals not only harm beneficial soil organisms but also leach into waterways, causing pollution and ecological damage.
What you can do:
Use natural pest control like companion planting
Plant more trees
Don’t use fertilisers that will be in the air
Give Back to the air.
Planting Fruit Trees To Support The Air
No 2: Video Reel – Planting Trees
No 3. The Bees
Let’s take a moment to recognise the invaluable contributions of bees to our ecosystems and commit to giving back to the earth by safeguarding these essential pollinators.
Bees, with their delicate wings and diligent work ethic, play a crucial role in pollinating flowering plants, including many of the fruits, vegetables, and wildflowers that sustain both humans and wildlife. However, bees worldwide face numerous threats, including habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change, and diseases. Below a photo of a bee on our cherry tree blossom.
What you can do to help:
Planting bee-friendly gardens filled with a diverse array of flowering plants
Add in a bee hotel/ space for bees to rest somewhere in your garden
Watering stations for them to stop and refuel
Give Back to the bees.
Patio Sweet Peas In Strawberry Baskets To Help The Bees
No 3: Video Reel – Feeding The Bees
We have a collection of print on demand Messages of Hope items that embrace the messages that we try and inspire.
Messages of Hope
Plant A Seed
Grow A Flower
Feed The Bees
What have you done to help support our planet Earth? What could you do this year?
Katrina & Clayton live with their family in East Ayrshire in Scotland and share their daily life in the garden on instagram @buildingfoodforest_scotland. They practice permaculture principles, reducing & repurposing waste whenever they can. Katrina shows how home educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive.
Clayton Completed The Grow and Learn Course with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society in 2022. This year he will be completing Level 2 Nurture Course. Clayton is 16, Autistic, Non Verbal & has been Home Educated for the last 6yrs. Both Katrina and husband Peter have studied the Permaculture Design Course PDC and PDC Pro over the last 5yrs, developing their garden from grass to an ongoing food forest.
They have featured on BBC Beechgrove Gardens, Gardeners World Magazine and write for Scotland Grows Magazine. Katrina has a series of children’s story books out following the life of Clayton in the garden. Available at Amazon
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Author of the new children’s book series: Clayton’s Garden Journey: A Story of Autism and Gardening and Sowing, Growing, Weather and Seasons Weekly Gardening Record Book available on Amazon
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