Enviromental Protection Blog

Archive for April, 2011

Eco Gardening –Everyone can help.

There are many occasions throughout the year that warrant a gift of some sort, to acknowledge the importance of the recipient, to the giver. Not least of which is mothers day, when many family members choose to send flowers. In Victorian times the flowers selected often relayed a message, such as rosemary for remembrance and roses for love. Today, although the subtlety of meaning is lost, flowers are selected for their beauty and are given to simply say ‘Thank You’, ‘I love you’ or just to lift spirits in what could be considered troubled times.

It is for much the same reason that many people take up gardening, to relieve the stresses of everyday life and on a practical level to attempt to lessen the impact of the threatened global consequences of modern living. There are many things that can be done in the garden to lessen the impact on the environment, such as using reusable containers for planting out or selecting bio-degradable options. Collecting rain water runoff into water butts, for watering the garden or using ‘grey water’ (used washing or bath water), as long as biodegradable detergents or soaps have been used. Not using peat products, as peat bogs are a dwindling and irreplaceable resource as well as being an important part of the natural ecosystem.

It is for this reason that many people are questioning how the flowers they purchase, for say a mothers day gift, have been grown. Do the growers use chemical fertilizers and pesticides? Do the growers actively protect the environment? How far have the flowers had to travel before they can be purchased by the consumer as a mothers day gift? It is not always easy to find out which countries send flowers abroad for sale on mothers day. It is always best to shop around when looking to get flowers delivered.

Researchers are working hard to develop plant varieties that are pest and drought resistant to eliminate the need for the use of chemical pesticides. Alternatively, others are looking into the use of natural predators to eliminate common pests. Customers who are eco conscious are actively making the decision to purchase or send flowers that have been grown by grower’s that are prepared to farm in a responsible, eco friendly way. So when purchasing flowers for an important occasion this year, consider the influence you can have on the way gardeners and companies run their businesses. This is a problem that affects everyone and even a small change could be a change for the better.