It’s March. I can feel my sap rising. Can you? The Eco-worrier in me is in the mood for a growmance. As a garden designer I can do my bit to address the Ecological emergency…but there are also some ways you can play your part.
If you are lucky enough to have a garden, I hope you will agree to undertake one of the following rewilding actions:
- Ditch the lawn! Sunbathing (ha!), trampoline, footie pitch aside, do you really such a huge expanse of lawn in your garden? Could you replace an area of it with a lawn alternative - ooh so pretty, aromatic low growing plants: Corsican mint, thyme snow drift, chamomile nobile?
- Out with the herbaceous border, in with a pollinator border. Plant lots of nectar friendly plants to extend the season.
- Hedge (fund) Replace your fence with a hedge. Hedges in urban environments are crucial in supporting a wide diversity of animal species through the provision of shelter, nest sites, food resources and corridors for movement. They have the natural ability to capture pollution, reduce noise and mitigate flooding.
Or, how about getting involved in a community garden? Or set one up. It’s easy, and fun. I bet there’s space near where you live. Why not find a small patch of land squeezed in between our urban space around Camden to create a community garden? Just look around you – police potager, faith spaces, outside cafes? C’mon Camdeners, let’s get creative and turn those grey spaces green.
Transition Kentish Town has helped set up a number of community gardens around Camden.
Men with big hoses…! Whilst my eco-credentials remain intact, I see my feminist creds go flying out of the window faster than a wind pollinated flower, at the pun to introduce you to our latest community garden at Kentish Town fire station:
The "greening your footprint garden". Yes, you read it right. An allotment in a fire station. We certainly won’t have a problem watering this one. Drop in weekly garden gardening sessions will take place Mondays from March 14, 5-6pm.
Do you have kids that go to a school in Camden? Or work/volunteer at one? Think&Do Camden have launched the camdenbeeline.org.uk to help re-wild our schools. There are lot’s of freebie rewilding goodies on offer including free hedges, annual wildflower seeds and habitat design advice. Do get your school to sign up to the inspiring Camden Council charter camdencca.org/school-climate-charter/
Eco-worrier Debbie Bourne co-runs ofbutterfliesandbees.co.uk, a wildlife friendly habitat design company: info@ofbutterfliesandbees.org.uk
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