How green is your garden?

Before you hit the soil this spring, think about where you’re putting in it, says Jill Starley-Grainger. Landscape designer Donald Ingam has inspiring ideas to make your outdoor space more environmentally friendlyAnother long, hot summer is predicted for Britain – great news for sun-worshippers, bad news for garden-lovers. Climate change is causing serious droughts interspersed with floods when water can’t sink into the hardened ground. These unusual weather patterns, along with pesticide use and habitat destruction, are having a serious effect on our gardens and wildlife.Landscape designer Donald Ingam has found that environmental issues are becomingly increasingly important to his clients. “Organic gardening has been big for a few years, but now more and more people are concerned about water conservation, too,” says Donald. “People are also moving away from hard surfaces for paths and choosing permeable surfaces instead, such as bark and gravel. These help reduce the risk of flooding and encourage wildlife.”Donald applies these principles to his own organic garden in Wimbledon, where he spends several hours a week. “Gardening is so fascinating because what you do is constantly changing,” says Donald. “You can design a garden, and then watch as it evolves into something different season to season, year to year.”Although most people create their gardens by instinct rather than design, with a little planning, you can ensure your garden is greener than ever and make it an even more enjoyable space to be in.Water worksRoll up your hosepipe and hide it at the back of the shed. It pours out up to 250 litres of water every 15 minutes, much more than the average garden could possibly need. Using a watering can instead can significantly reduce wastage. For even more savings, put a layer of mulch on soil and water-retaining crystals in pots to reduce evaporation.Where your water comes from is almost as important as how much you use. “Even the smallest gardens can have water butts, which collect rainwater from an existing downpipe,” says Donald. “They make very attractive water butts now in the shape of terracotta pots or galvanised steel containers. Installing one is simple and takes just a couple of hours.”Water butts cost from around £20, and councils often offer subsidised ones. Plants far prefer rainwater to tap water, so you should get showier blooms and foliage. You can now get irrigation systems that work with water butts. These help ensure plants get just the right amount of water, so you’ll be reducing wastage and you won’t have to bother with watering all summer.“It’s also easier now to reuse cooled greywater, such as bath and dishwater, thanks to hoses that take the used water from your bath and pump it directly onto your garden,” says Donald. Dishwater is also great for soil, and the soap in both bath and dishwater can act as a mild, natural pesticide.The grass is greenerWhen dry spells occur, lawns quickly turn brown, but don’t be tempted to turn on the sprinkler. It spews out more water than a four-person family uses in a whole day. “Grass recovers from all but the worst of droughts, so there’s no need to panic when it turns brown,” says Donald.Some preventative action can help your grass stay green all summer. “When laying a lawn, try the new drought-resistant strains of turf and seed, such as fescue grass or smooth-stalked meadow,” suggests Donald. “During dry spells, leave grass longer by raising the blades of your mower. This will help it stay green longer and recover from drought more quickly.”Organic gardeningAvoiding the use of chemicals in the garden ensures a cleaner, safer environment for everyone, from wildlife and people to the plants themselves. Many of us already garden organically, but when pests, weeds or diseases strike, it’s easy to be tempted to reach for the chemicals.The best offence is a good defence. “Discourage pests with companion planting,” suggests Donald. “For example, plant garlic or marigolds next to roses to keep aphids away.” Check plants often, and remove pests by hand as soon as you see any.If more serious help is needed, there’s no need to turn to chemicals. Donald suggests spraying soft-bodied pests, such as aphids, with a mix of washing-up liquid and water. Another option is to buy beneficial insects, such as ladybirds and lacewings, or tiny parasites called nematodes, available from your garden centre or online. Beneficial insects and nematodes can handle a range of pests, from whitefly to weevils. “Nematodes are one of the best controls for slugs, and unlike pellets, they won’t harm the animals that eat slugs,” says Donald.Night lifeFrom patio heaters to fairy lights, gardens can use up a surprising amount of energy. “Unnecessarily lighting the garden at night is detrimental on lots of levels, not least because of its effect on wildlife. Instead of harsh electric lights, use pretty garden flares, lanterns and candles when you’re in the garden at night,” says Donald.FROM FOOD TO FERTILISERIf your space is too small for a compost heap, buy a wormery. Unlike compost heaps, wormeries are fully enclosed so you can put cooked food and meat in them. The best versions are layered for ease of use.1. Save leftover food, paper, vacuum cleaner dust and garden debris except grass.2. Take off wormery lid. Pour contents into wormery. Stir with a garden fork occasionally.3. Keep adding food weekly. Worm numbers will grow to meet the requirements.4. When top level is full, remove the empty bottom layer and put it on top. Repeat again until all layers are full.About six to nine months after starting the wormery, remove bottom layer, which will now be full of the most fantastic compost. ATTRACTING WILDLIFETo encourage wildlife into your garden, try these:• Create attractive habitats. Birds need trees, frogs like ponds and butterflies are drawn to flowering plants such as buddleia.• Leave a corner of the garden alone, allowing whatever springs up to stay there and piling in a few logs, branches and leaves. This will attract a wide range of beneficial bugs and even hedgehogs.• Put up nesting boxes and feeders out of reach of predators, and a plethora of birds will soon move in, even in the most built-up areas.• Avoid slug pellets at all costs. They kill the frogs, birds and other animals who eat slugs.Some plants are especially loved by wildlife, so consider planting one of these: Malus 'Professor Sprenger', Hebe, Viburnum opulus 'Compactum', Carex Flagellifera, Centranthus Ruber, Echinacea Purpurea, Epilobium Angustifolium var.Album, Penstemon, Digitalis Purpurea F. Albiflora, Silybum MarianumON THE ROOFPutting a turf roof on your garden shed will look gorgeous, attract wildlife and provide a bit of extra green space in our cramped country.1. Lay a good liner on the roof.2. Roll out roof turf, which is lighter than ordinary garden turf.3. Wire or peg it into place.Sprinkle on some wildflower seeds if you want flowers on the roofs. DROUGHT-TOLERANT PLANTSTo help your garden cope with the hotter summers, consider plants that can deal with drought. These pretty flowers and shrubs can all handle dry spells.• Lavandula• Allium• Erynguim• Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve'• Festuca Glauca• Geranium Renardii• Phormium• Cordyline• Melianthus Major• Aeonium 'Zwartkop'AgapanthusRESOURCESWiggly Wigglers sells beneficial insects and nematodes, organic wildlife homes and feeders, compost bins and wormeries. www.wigglywigglers.co.ukThe Small Ecological Garden, £8.99, offers advice on organic gardening, wildlife gardening, creating compost and choosing the right plants for your situation.Royal Horticultural Society has a plethora advice for garden lovers, including drought-tolerant plants, organic gardening, wildlife gardening and the fantastically useful Plant Finder, which provides details of nurseries who sell the plant you want to buy. www.rhs.org.ukBBC Gardening provides plenty of practical advice, including a pest and disease identifer. www.bbc.co.uk/gardeningRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds offers advice on attracting, feeding and providing homes for wild birds. www.rspb.org.uk