TOOLS

WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO…
Twenty years ago I paid a visit to a peat processing plant in the midlands. I was with a group of horticultural students and the owner of the plant happily answered some difficult questions. One of them, asked by a lad who was very aware of the impending energy crisis asked, “How long will the peat last in Ireland?” The owner answered that we have loads in Ireland and “the company will have enough for at least twenty years”…. Well… that’s about now then.
Using peat-based compost in the garden has always been a recourse that was unsustainable and best avoided. Peat bogs store twice as much carbon as all the world's forest combined but every year an area of Ireland ten times the size of Monaco is dug up. A scary thought….

DOING YOUR BIT
When we go into the garden the last thing we need to feel is that we are adding to global warming and pollution. As we are tightening our belts it makes sense to save money in the garden, not by buying cheap rip offs of quality products that break or fall apart a week after you buy them. Buy the best, when you can afford it. This philosophy goes for the seeds as well as equipment. You will be far better off in the long run buying top quality seeds as more of them should be viable and give you a healthier crop. Buying top quality tools will also mean that they will last far longer, giving you better long term value and they are a lot safer. The last thing any gardener needs is for their tools to break, it can be very dangerous.

Here are some more tips to follow in the garden

Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilisers - they require large amounts of fossil fuel to make and emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more powerful than CO2

Saving money in the garden is important and if you can use your own compost to feed the soil, all the better. Add home-made compost (about a bucketful per square metre) to boost the amount of water and nutrients that soil can retain - and avoid shop-bought, based composts

If you have a small lawn, go manual - buy a push mower, they sound great and give you a good workout too. Swapping your petrol lawnmower for a manual can cut emissions by 36kg of CO2 every year - and knock over €35 off your fuel bill (as well as gym bills).

Choose sustainable wood for your garden furniture. Check the source first. Avoid Vietnamese garden furniture for example as most of it comes from illegally logged forests in South East Asia.

When you're paving, consider lower-emission alternatives to concrete. Made from recycled and reclaimed materials, they have catchy names like pulverised fuel ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag. Get low-carbon outdoor lighting, such as solar lights or LEDs

Get a rainwater butt and run it from the down pipes.

Discover plants that can withstand long spells of heat, including French honeysuckle, Lavender, Iris, and Salvia, and water infrequently but thoroughly, at the base of the plant
Avoid patio heaters at all costs; they are really wasteful… get a blanket instead.

Digging in a low volume irrigation system with a timer in a large garden can cut water use by half. It can save the time you spend watering the garden by about 90%.

GREAT GREEN GIVE AWAY
Trevor Sargent, the Minister of Agriculture and Food (Green Party) is launching a Get Ireland Growing campaign at the end of the month. He says “with the recession and the growing problem of food security, (this idea)…is finally gaining traction.” He continues. “People have started to realise that it’s much more economical to grow their own food and seed companies are recording record sales.” He is highlighting the fact that Ireland will not be able to import all of the food it needs and that countries like China and Africa, who currently supply us with onions and beans, will need to keep the food for themselves and says that the Get Ireland Growing Campaign is “aimed at everyone who eats.”

In the not too distant future our local councils should be getting information and merchandise to distribute to anyone interested in growing their own. We should be getting trowels, seeds, markers and gardening gloves.

IT’S THE COUNCILS REMIT TO PROVIDE ALLOTMENTS
Trevor Sargent and John Gormley, the Environment Minister, have been trying to convince local authorities to convert waste ground into allotments. “Under the Local Government Act of 2001, local authorities have a remit to provide allotments to people in response to any demand.” Says Sargent. So it’s time to vote with your feet. The Green party will be giving postcards to anyone who thinks an allotment is a good idea for their area can send it in to the local authority expressing their interest.