Plantago

• The chemicals we use to kill weeds and bugs rely on fossil fuels, and can disrupt local wildlife.
• You won’t single-handedly solve all the world’s woes with your plot of land.
• But there are several simple things that, if you just stop doing them, will help the environment and wildlife.
• It can contribute to lowering your garden’s carbon footprint and help to reduce the risk of flooding.

Keep carbon in the ground

• Exposing soil through digging causes the carbon that is stored in it to be released.
• There will always be some soil disturbance as you manage your beds – particularly when you first plant your crops.
• But the use of perennial crops can help to reduce this, with the added benefit of requiring less of your time.
• Planting soft fruit bushes and strawberries means that, with a bit of effort, you can harvest fruit every year.

Become a wildlife haven

• But you could opt to extend this practice until much later in the summer for even greater benefits.
• Allowing your grass to grow longer, and interspersing it with pollen-rich flowers, can benefit many insects – especially bees.

Store more water

• A more complex root structure encourages water infiltration, helping our gardens manage large deluges of rain.
• Our unruly, rain-soaked refuges not only hold water when there is too much.
• This not only keeps water where it’s needed but also maintains the soil’s coolness, benefiting animals like worms that live beneath the surface.
• And remember, the concept of laid-back gardening isn’t just for summer; it’s equally important during autumn and winter too.