The answer is multi-layered and complex as we are in uncharted waters, never experiencing the rapid and extreme effects of climate change and it’s devastating legacy before.
Education, trial, error, trial and hope?
Observation has always been important, but now more so, to help us raise consciousness by seeing what happens in your own back garden. I don’t think the answer is in irrigation systems and artificial lawns or changing our plants to more Mediterranean suited species. I think it’s more complex than that; to me that’s the plaster over the wound. We all need a starting point, I started with the soil.
Last year when our temperatures reached the 40’s in some areas, we had a hit for the first time of the extremes and of what many countries are experiencing already.
After the heat passed all seemed normal, a few crispie’s here and there but not too bad. I realised at that point that we wouldn’t see the devastation until the following year, and it was curious to see what benefited and what didn’t. I was surprised that Rosemary was largely killed off as well as hebe’s! Both known to be incredibly hardy. However, Acers did extremely well and have come back more vibrant than before. What effects on crops? I believe many failed disrupting many chains and ecosystems in nature.
My studies with the Soil Food Web under Dr Elaine Ingham has made the most sense to me. I like science and it has helped me understand where and how to prioritise my role to help, and that the most important, respectful and humble way forward is to acknowledge that we have damaged and killed our growing lands. In order to restore and future proof, I believe the first step must be how do we improve the soil and how do we get the beneficial microorganisms back in the soil that since time immemorial, have been working in perfect unison and harmony creating a bio diversity (we humans still haven’t figured that one out) to create the environment to supply nutrient rich food.
After many years in horticulture and a complete sense of impotence when it comes to what is the right thing to do in our gardens, what is the right product to put in the soil and the simple answer, in my opinion, is if you go and buy any product in any commercial retail outlet you are buying a ‘cide’. Pesticide, fungicide and anything with these four little letters at the end means killing. Homicide etc. even watch out for ‘green products’ which some of them are, until they put in something to give it ‘shelf life’ then all the benefits of the beneficial microorganisms are rendered inert. nature has been monetised and used to the detriment of nature sadly.
My own experience taught me to first educate myself, I was doing something wrong that I was told was right. So I had to find out. It took time study and research, culminating in my ‘ah ha!’ moment of clarity on where my green ambitions lie!
If you really want to make a powerful, independent difference learn how to make good compost that creates the environment in the soil for the beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, arthropods and worms etc to thrive. They create an opportunity for mutually beneficial food exchanges with plants!
A plant takes in sunlight and carbon dioxide to photosynthesis. As it travels through the plant to the roots it releases exudates (sugars) . Around the roots are 1,0000’s of bacteria and fungi which consume the exudates and then poop it out. But this poop is not in a form the plant can take up so it relies on the chain of predation. Along come Arthropods et al and eat the bacteria and fungi (don’t worry they reproduce very quickly). When they poop it out it is in a form the plant can take up.
All the movement from the growth and interactions create air space and aggregates form allowing water to go down instead of running off the surface caused by compaction forcing plant roots to go sideways creating a matting over the soil, which makes any benefits of rain redundant and flooding possibilities increase.
Vitally the soil is oxygenated and aerobic!
Did you know that trees attract rain clouds? There was a vast area of pastureland devoid of trees except this one little island of a coppice of ancient trees. The clouds would come in from the coast bypassing the pastureland until it came to the little coppice. At which point it just stayed over the canopies and rained until it went off again. I’m not saying that pastureland devoid of trees never get rained on just says a lot about deforestation and the need of trees for transpiration continuing another beneficial mutualism in nature between trees and clouds (weather and climate).
Another thing I didn’t know before is that there are different recipes of composting that attract different sets of the microorganisms depending on what you want to grow. It’s like a cooking recipe! And an aerobic compost smells sweet. When it doesn’t it means it has become anaerobic (oxygen depleted) and anaerobic conditions release natural chemical emissions to attracts flies etc often things like putrescine as in putrid which says it all.
Anyway if anyone out there wants to have an exchange with me to discuss our experiences or just any questions please get in touch so we can all teach and learn.
How do we future proof our gardens?
The answer is multi-layered and complex as we are in uncharted waters, never experiencing the rapid and extreme effects of climate change and it’s devastating legacy before.
Education, trial, error, trial and hope?
Observation has always been important, but now more so, to help us raise consciousness by seeing what happens in your own back garden. I don’t think the answer is in irrigation systems and artificial lawns or changing our plants to more Mediterranean suited species. I think it’s more complex than that; to me that’s the plaster over the wound. We all need a starting point, I started with the soil.
Last year when our temperatures reached the 40’s in some areas, we had a hit for the first time of the extremes and of what many countries are experiencing already.
After the heat passed all seemed normal, a few crispie’s here and there but not too bad. I realised at that point that we wouldn’t see the devastation until the following year, and it was curious to see what benefited and what didn’t. I was surprised that Rosemary was largely killed off as well as hebe’s! Both known to be incredibly hardy. However, Acers did extremely well and have come back more vibrant than before. What effects on crops? I believe many failed disrupting many chains and ecosystems in nature.
My studies with the Soil Food Web under Dr Elaine Ingham has made the most sense to me. I like science and it has helped me understand where and how to prioritise my role to help, and that the most important, respectful and humble way forward is to acknowledge that we have damaged and killed our growing lands. In order to restore and future proof, I believe the first step must be how do we improve the soil and how do we get the beneficial microorganisms back in the soil that since time immemorial, have been working in perfect unison and harmony creating a bio diversity (we humans still haven’t figured that one out) to create the environment to supply nutrient rich food.
After many years in horticulture and a complete sense of impotence when it comes to what is the right thing to do in our gardens, what is the right product to put in the soil and the simple answer, in my opinion, is if you go and buy any product in any commercial retail outlet you are buying a ‘cide’. Pesticide, fungicide and anything with these four little letters at the end means killing. Homicide etc. even watch out for ‘green products’ which some of them are, until they put in something to give it ‘shelf life’ then all the benefits of the beneficial microorganisms are rendered inert. nature has been monetised and used to the detriment of nature sadly.
My own experience taught me to first educate myself, I was doing something wrong that I was told was right. So I had to find out. It took time study and research, culminating in my ‘ah ha!’ moment of clarity on where my green ambitions lie!
If you really want to make a powerful, independent difference learn how to make good compost that creates the environment in the soil for the beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, arthropods and worms etc to thrive. They create an opportunity for mutually beneficial food exchanges with plants!
A plant takes in sunlight and carbon dioxide to photosynthesis. As it travels through the plant to the roots it releases exudates (sugars) . Around the roots are 1,0000’s of bacteria and fungi which consume the exudates and then poop it out. But this poop is not in a form the plant can take up so it relies on the chain of predation. Along come Arthropods et al and eat the bacteria and fungi (don’t worry they reproduce very quickly). When they poop it out it is in a form the plant can take up.
All the movement from the growth and interactions create air space and aggregates form allowing water to go down instead of running off the surface caused by compaction forcing plant roots to go sideways creating a matting over the soil, which makes any benefits of rain redundant and flooding possibilities increase.
Vitally the soil is oxygenated and aerobic!
Did you know that trees attract rain clouds? There was a vast area of pastureland devoid of trees except this one little island of a coppice of ancient trees. The clouds would come in from the coast bypassing the pastureland until it came to the little coppice. At which point it just stayed over the canopies and rained until it went off again. I’m not saying that pastureland devoid of trees never get rained on just says a lot about deforestation and the need of trees for transpiration continuing another beneficial mutualism in nature between trees and clouds (weather and climate).
Another thing I didn’t know before is that there are different recipes of composting that attract different sets of the microorganisms depending on what you want to grow. It’s like a cooking recipe! And an aerobic compost smells sweet. When it doesn’t it means it has become anaerobic (oxygen depleted) and anaerobic conditions release natural chemical emissions to attracts flies etc often things like putrescine as in putrid which says it all.
Anyway if anyone out there wants to have an exchange with me to discuss our experiences or just any questions please get in touch so we can all teach and learn.
Here’s a link for composting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9YuUDyE0JE
Jeannie 👩🏽🌾