THE COMPOSTING BINA gardener who throws things away is not getting it right. Everything can be recycled and returned to the garden; therefore the compost bin is the ultimate tool in sustainable gardening. All weeds, pruning and grass clippings should be added to the compost bin. Even leftovers from the kitchen such as vegetable peelings, tea bags and egg shells can be added as well as old paper. The fleshy roots of perennial weeds such as Dandelion should not go on the compost heap; these can be burnt and added to the compost heap as ash. A good tip is always pull up your weeds before they set seed. This saves you work, time and energy, as well as possible extra use of equipment and will therefore help sustain your back in the long run. Finally, avoid meat and dairy products in the compost bin as they may attract unwanted visitors.

TIER PLANTINGPlants grow in association; in a word they enjoy each others company. Planting them in tiers, whether in a border or in a pot, has a number of benefits. Tier planting can mean growing a few trees which are under planted with shrubs which in turn are under planted with groundcover. This means less watering, less weeding and no chance of soil erosion. It also encourages wildlife.

DIVIDING YOUR PLANTSPlants benefit from being propagated and this will increase your stock. Herbaceous plants can be lifted and divided into clumps, these can then be potted up as spares, planted or given away. Cuttings can also

be taken; this requires some skill so do some research on what different plants require. For example, a hardwood cutting can be taken from a Willow in winter. Collecting seed after flowering is also a great way to raise new plants in a sustainable way.

USING THOSE AUTUMN LEAVESAutumn provides not just beautiful colour, but also a great opportunity to make some excellent mulch or soil improver. Falling leaves should not be swept away or seen as a nuisance. They can be rotted down and used effectively in the garden. Place them in bin liners with holes punctured into them, or a couple of wooden stakes and some chicken wire can make a small pen that leaves can be placed into. They will rot down during the course of the winter ready to be replaced back onto the soil in the garden in the spring. Perfect food to keep your soil healthy.

MULCHINGOnce your compost, decayed leaves, wood chip-pings or even a few bags of wonderfully rotted horse manure from the local garden centre or farm, has been obtained, it’s time to put all that goodness back into the garden. One superb way to do this is to apply it as mulch. This means spreading it around the base of your plants throughout the borders and beds. It can be anywhere from 5 to 10 cm in depth and does a number of important jobs that help sus-tain your garden. It feeds the soil and plants, helps retain moisture, protects roots from frosts and cold air, makes weeding much easier as they cannot get the same grip, and finally, if aesthetics are important to you, it makes the garden look great.

A SALAD WINDOW BOXYou do not need a massive allotment to produce some of your own food; even those people who live in a small flat can get up to a small bit of sustainable gardening. A simple window box, some compost and a packet of cut and come again salad leaves seeds will give your sandwiches a fresh taste. One sowing will last you up to a month and repeat sowing from the same packet is possible as is growing throughout the winter. Just remember to make sure the plants are given a drink.

CREATING A POTATO BARRELCreate a small space and make your own mash. For those in small spaces but who want to grow one of our most important staple foods, take an old or disused dustbin, water butt or even a sack, make sure they are properly cleaned and use them for growing some spuds. The bin is the best as holes can be cut at intervals a third of the way and two thirds of the way up allowing the plants to grow outwards as well as up. The Potatoes can be planted in layers. A cultivar such as ‘Rocket’ can be ready to tip out in as little as 10 weeks. A good family project could be made better by letting the kids decorate the bin.

A STRAWBERRY HANGING BASKETSlugs and snails are the enemy of the sustainable garden and particularly the Strawberry plants. One way to defeat them is plant strawberries in a hang-ing basket. A wire basket with open sides means that many Strawberry plants can be planted both through the sides and in the top. Line the basket with a sustainable product like Sisal and hang in a

bright sunny spot. Many people may worry about watering baskets and they will need regular checking but Strawberries are a hot climate plant so sleepless nights will not be required. They will however enjoy a liquid feed from time to time.

HOMEMADE NOURISHING DRINKS - THE LIQUID FEEDThe nettle has a bad reputation in human eyes but it is actually a very important plant. Just to begin with it’s very important for the larvae of Caterpillars and for wildlife generally. They are also full of Nitrogen, an important nutrient for plant growth. So take some Nettles and place them in a bucket of water and 3 to 4 weeks later you have your own home made liquid feed. This liquid is drained off and when needed diluted into a water sprayer at the rate of 20:1 and then applied to your plants. This is not for baby seedlings though.

TAKING CARE OF WATERThe source of all life - it is true that water is the one element that we really do take for granted, the fact it falls from the sky and there always seems to be a lot of it gives the impression it is always available. Sustaining a source of water is one of the gardeners most important jobs. Water butts are fundamental as is the time of day you water - early in the morning or at dusk is best when the weather is cooler and there is less chance of transpiration. Using funnels or old overflow pipes inserted at the base of larger plants such as shrubs and trees provides targeted watering. Mulching and tier planting will also be water wise gardening techniques.

A WILDLIFE CORNERSharing our garden with those plants and animals that do not necessarily obey the rules of the garden is important. A small area in the corner of the garden, even one as small as one square meter or a large pot on a balcony should be given over to nature. This will encourage many advantages like giving space over to pollinators. Natural composters like centipedes will also have a home in the garden. Added items like habitat piles or even a hedgehog house will open the garden to predators that will check your slugs and snails.

BEATING THE PESTS WITHOUT PESTICIDESIn a small area it’s difficult to see the need for pesticides. They can disrupt the food chain by wiping out the small insectivorous life and thus stop predators entering the garden. Ladybirds are ideal for controlling Aphids and a healthy number of birds will control pests such as snails. Companion planting throughout your vegetable plot will take pests away from your chosen plants. For example, a Nasturtium will keep the caterpillars of the Cabbage White Butterfly off your Brassicas. Plant hygiene will also aid your battle against the pests, remove any growth that has become infected and destroy. A touch of soapy water in a water sprayer will also check those Blackfly.

RECYCLING HOUSEHOLD AND GARDEN MATERIALSAlways try to recycle your plastic pots and trays and re-use household equipment in order to create a sustainable garden. Plastic pots should be

disinfected, stored and used again. Old tights filled with soil or old bottles can be used to create walls or raised beds. Old tyres make excellent planting pockets for growing herbs and salad crops. Old bricks and wood can be used to build a bug house to encourage wildlife into the garden. Milk cartons can be decorated and turned into birdhouses and old carpets can be used on fallow soil to prevent weeds taking over.

BUYING LOCALSourcing plants from a local grower or nursery not only provides sustainability in your garden, it has major horticultural value as well. Locally sourced plants can have a much smaller carbon footprint but also are adapted to local conditions and therefore have a greater chance of survival. They will be used to local weather patterns and hardened to the surroundings. Plants bought from a distance tend to be raised in different climates and environments to what they will experience in your garden.

SUSTAINING YOUR BODY – THE GREEN GYMA huge reason to take part in sustainable gardening is the health benefits it has for the gardener. Gardeners are fit people who enjoy regular exercise, plenty of fresh air and regular contact with na-ture which is good for the mind. If you are bit of a reluctant gardener, why not just indulge a bit and buy yourself a hand push mow instead of a petrol or electrical mower. This will keep you fit and help out the planet a bit too.

PLANT A NATIVE TREE OR SHRUBMake time for the local. Planting a Silver Birch and/or a Willow will always blend with our landscape. These plants form a corridor between the garden and the wider landscape. They are good for local wildlife, sustainable as they are used to the conditions and the blend of the white bark of the Birch with the yellowy stems of the Willow make a beautiful sight in the winter. If these plants are cut back in early spring their wood can be used for country crafts such as basket making or even used as green fuel. Ensure trees are planted at an appropriate distance from buildings to avoid damage from the roots - allowing 12-15m for Birch and 20m for Willow.

USE ORGANIC FERTILISERSSome of the off shoots of the farming industry are by-products that can be extremely useful in sustainable gardening. Dried blood, bone meal, fish blood and bone are all naturally organic fertilisers and can be applied by hand to plants in the garden in powder form. The titles may be gruesome, but they are less prone to getting into the water table (known as leaching), more sustainable as they can be sourced locally and really good for plants.

THE D/D/D RULEPlant health is the ultimate task of the gardener. To avoid treating plants for pest and disease and for their general wellbeing, it’s good to remove the three D’s. This is the removal of all dead, diseased and dying material from the plant. Most plant pathogens are secondary, meaning they tend only to cause problems to an already weakened plant. Plants also

need air movement around them, removing unwanted leaves and wood enables a healthy atmosphere. Make your plants more sustainable by keeping them clean and tidy.

TAKING CARE OF THE BEES AND BUTTERFLIESAn important part of gardening and particularly growing food is to make sure that plants can be pollinated. Bees are said to be responsible for 80 per cent of plant pollination - they are invaluable to a sustainable garden. Butterflies are also crucial, but they need a reason to visit your garden. Plant a herbaceous border along the side of the veg plot or sow special Bee flower mixes. Do some homework to see what plants will encourage them into the garden.

VERTICAL GARDENING -MAKING USE OF SPACESustainability is all about using the space and re-sources required to their upmost. A garden or even a balcony is not flat, it has mass, it is a cube. Use baskets, arches, nets, grow the vertical plants such as Beans or Loganberries on walls. Even compost bins and water butts can be wall mounted. Sustain all space.

PEAT FREE COMPOSTPeat is a much contested subject but on a personal level there is no reason to be adding to the consumption of peat when it’s used on a non commercial scale. Good composting, or the use of recycled green or loam based composts from garden centres are sufficient, and a sustainable way to aid the rearing of plants and add to the soil condition of your garden.