Carbon Neutral Gardening

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

GARDEN FOR A FUTURE The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 17 SDGs are integrated — they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Herb garden made from old bricks with cardboard & woodchip mulch

The school garden can enrich learning across the whole curriculum as well as improve health and well being. It is the ideal tool to explore practical solutions to the climate catastrophe.

SDG 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Targets include improved education, awarenessraising and practical measures on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

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Reading Borough Council (RBC) believes the world is now clearly in the midst of a climate emergency and that more concerted and urgent action is needed at local, national and international level to protect our planet for future generations. As such, this Council commits to playing as full a role as possible–leading by example as well as by exhortation–in achieving a carbon neutral Reading by 2030.

ReadingCAN (Climate Action Network) third Reading Climate Change Strategy (2020-2025), 26 February 2019

Our gardens may contribute to global warming.

They can use large amounts of ‘embedded’ energy which contribute to CO2 emissions: • heating greenhouses (your own or the nurseries which grow the plants you buy) • manufacturing artificial fertiliser or hard landscaping materials such as cement and paving • transporting plants and materials • purifying and pumping the drinking water we use to irrigate our gardens • using peat-based compost which releases greenhouse gases when it is dug up • disposing of green waste.

However, we can design our gardens so they are carbon neutral. By rethinking how we do things and applying the principles: refuse, reduce, reuse, renew and recycle we can limit our environmental footprint. Here are some sustainable features found in the Food4Families school and community gardens, most of which can easily be adapted for your own garden.

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

HARD LANDSCAPING REUSE Unwanted building materials such as bricks, wood or scaffold boards.

Raised beds made from old scaffold boards & oak whiskey barrel

RENEW Use hardwood logs or weave beds from coppiced willow or hazel – trees absorb CO2 when they grow and breath out oxygen.

Wheelchair accessible beds made from locally-sourced oak boards

Sweet chestnut wood is rot resistant & perfect for a pergola

Keyhole bed made of bricks from demolished Victorian garden wall

Veg growing in re-used crates & potato tower made from salvaged planks

Beds made from oak logs with weed-suppressing cardboard mulch

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

HARVEST RAINWATER Most climate scientists agree that global climate change will result in greater extremes of weather – more floods and droughts. We must reduce the amount of precious tap water we use in the garden. It is for drinking and uses lots of energy to purify and pump it to our homes.

We need to harvest rainwater and reduce the water we use by using water conservation gardening methods.

REUSE Industrial containers are perfect for storing large volumes of rainwater and cheaper than buying recycled plastic water butts which consume lots of energy to manufacture.

RETHINK Divert the overflow from your water butt to a swale – a shallow ditch filled with garden waste such as woodchip or hedge trimmings. The water will soak into the soil, replenish the ground water and create a moist area. The roots from nearby trees and shrubs will use this reservoir to survive droughts.

left: 220 litre barrel originally used to import mango chutney from India; right: A Rainwater Hub will divert water anywhere in your garden

1000 litre Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) are used to import liquids such as juice, olive oil – they are perfect for storing large volumes of harvested rainwater and providing support and warmth for climbing plants such as yam, grape, kiwi, hop or beans

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

CONSERVE WATER NO BARE SOIL We can reduce water consumption by using mulch to keep moisture in the soil.

RETHINK Mix crops that will benefit each other by providing shade, fixing nitrogen or controlling weeds.

RENEW Make a ‘lasagne’ of carboard, garden waste and a thick layer of woodchip to create a water conserving mulch. Make planting pockets for seedlings.

REUSE You can also use shredded paper, newspaper or cardboard as a mulch.

RETHINK Keep the soil cooler with a permanent ground cover of spreading crops such as strawberries, squashes or herbs. These also help to suppress weeds.

Free mulch – mountains of woodchip are produced by tree surgeons

RETHINK Water early in the morning when the soil is cooler and there is less evaporation.

RETHINK A quick sprinkle with a watering can will just wet the surface and keep roots near the surface where they will dry out. Train roots to grow deep down to search out water. Create a watering basin around a plant to ensure precious water soaks deep into the soil.

Water the roots – use a plant pot buried next to the plant

left: Soak not shower; right: Native American ‘three sisters’ polyculture – maize provides support for climbing beans that fertilise the sprawling pumpkins which provide shade for the soil & suppress weeds

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

REDUCE WASTE Energy is used to collect and process waste.

Landfill takes up valuable land. Use your garden to reduce your waste footprint.

RECYCLE Shred paper and cardboard and mix with vegetable waste from the kitchen. Add bedding from vegetarian pets but not cats or dogs.

left: Make a leaf mould cage from chicken wire; right: Green Cone

RECYCLE Food waste must not go on the compost heap because it will attract rats and foxes. However, special composting worms in a wormery will turn food waste into nutrient-rich compost and a concentrated liquid fertiliser.

The Green Cone waste food digester will also break down food scraps and feed surrounding beds.

RECYCLE Turn autumn leaves into a great soil conditioner by piling them in a wire cage to slowly break down.

left: Compost bedding; right: Wood ash is good for alkaline loving plants

REUSE Ash from a wood burning stove is rich in potassium – sprinkle over your beds in the late winter to give your plants a spring boost. Do not use ash from coal or treated timber – it’s toxic.

left: Re-used pallets make ideal compost bins; right: You can buy wormeries or make your own from re-purposed containers

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

FOREST GARDEN RETHINK A forest garden copies a natural woodland with up to seven layers of useful plants. It is ideal for home, community or school – it provides year round interest, is low maintenance and can support learning across the curriculum. You can even buy a forest garden in a box suitable for your site, complete with plants, plan and maintenance guide: 8www.nationalforestgardening.org

4 Herbaceous layer of perennial vegetables and herbs, eg echinacea, day lily

1 Canopy layer of mature trees, eg cherry 5 Ground cover layer of plants that spread horizontally, eg strawberry, marjoram

2 Low-tree layer of smaller nut and fruit trees on dwarfing root stocks, eg medlar, hazel

3 Shrub layer of bushes, eg Chilean guava

6 Underground layer of plants grown for their roots and tubers, eg oca, American groundnut

7 Vertical layer of creepers & vines, eg kiwi, hop

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

GO ORGANIC & PEAT FREE REFUSE The manufacture of artificial fertiliser is very energy intensive and creates a large carbon footprint. Make your own compost instead or find a local stable that wants to get rid of its used bedding. Let fresh manure rot before applying it.

REFUSE Avoid peat-based compost: peat bogs are precious habitats for wildlife and store vast amounts of carbon – they dry out they release greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane.

REFUSE Some slug pellets are toxic to children and wildlife. Hedgehogs or birds that eat slugs can be poisoned. Use organic alternatives.

Local farmers may be a cheap source of manure

Slugs drown in a beer trap (use slops or baking yeast solution)

There are now many peat-free composts on the market

Organic plant food (from left): ground volcanic rock has trace elements that may boost fertility; seaweed & bonemeal contain slowrelease plant nutrients; comfrey has high levels of all the nutrients necessary for plants – cut several times a year & spread as mulch

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

GROW YOUR OWN FOOD The food chain, from farm to plate, accounts for about 30% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce our personal footprint by cutting the amount of meat we eat and growing our own organic food – lower emissions from the energy intensive manufacture of chemical fertiliser and fewer ‘food miles’.

The school or community garden is the ideal tool for raising awareness of global food security and the threats posed by the climate crisis, as well as learning horticultural skills.

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

READING TOWN MEAL The Meal is organised by a partnership of local community groups coordinated by Food4Families and takes place every year in the Forbury Gardens.

Surplus produce is collected from allotments and community gardens. Catering students from Reading College Activate Learning prepare and serve 1000 two-course meals to visitors. It is a vibrant celebration of local food growing that encourages people to make a difference in our struggle to address the climate emergency.

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING

RETHINK ú refuse ú reduce ú reuse ú renew ú recycle

FOOD4FAMILIES Food4families (F4F) is a community foodgrowing project set up by Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) in 2009. Since then it has developed over 28 gardens across Reading, with school and community partners, where young and old are encouraged to grow their own fresh fruit and veg.

A neglected patch of land behind St Lukes’ Church Hall has been transformed into an award-winning garden

Over 40 families of Gurkha veterans cultivate plots at Lavender Place Community Gardens, on the site of the former Civic Offices

from left: Take-away pot of herbs; start them young; New Christchurch Primary (top); Southcote Primary; balcony garden in Dee Park

Exhibition produced by Food4Families, the Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) community gardening project, supported by:

CARBON NEUTRAL GARDENING