Plants from large stores generate greenhouse emissions because they have been grown in commercial nurseries using electricity and transported. Seasonal plants are generally treated as disposable as they are produced to be planted then removed after just a few months.
Start from scratch to benefit our planet
Propagating your own plants or growing from seed has less impact on the environment. Use seed catalogues or collect cuttings from your friends and neighbours, and choose perennials or self-seeding annuals.
Growing your own vegetables from seeds (or seedlings) of course, is a win-win. There’s no food waste, no packaging and no transport required, so you’re reducing your footprint.
The simple act of planting a tree in your garden from scratch means you’re helping to draw carbon out of the atmosphere. Composting your garden prunings (and your kitchen scraps as well) helps create nutritious soil and saves them from going into general waste.
If you can’t compost your garden waste, consider getting a green waste bin, a service provided by more local councils these days, who usually convert the waste into nutritious garden mulch.
Finally, leave the soil alone for a while rather than regularly digging it up, which releases stored carbon.
The end result could be a beautiful hedge that is generally more attractive than a fence or wall, or a colourful vegetable or herb patch that you can use in our meals each day. However you decide to create your sustainable backyard, it’s good for you and for our planet.
If you’d like to learn more about horticultural therapy or how other forms of Earth Medicine can improve your health, consider booking a free discovery call with one of our practitioners by clicking the image below.
References
Our purpose-driven editorial team has selected articles to share with our global community from thought leaders, commentators and subject matter experts in the traditional & complementary medicine sector from around the world. If you have any suggestions, comments or feedback, please contact us at [email protected].
Disclaimer: This Content has been developed from our generous global community and is intended for informational purposes only. This Content is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon. Further, the personal views and experiences published are expressly those of the author, and do not represent the views or endorsement of SoulAdvisor through the act of publication on our site.
