To coincide with the online publication of “How to Grow Your Own Food” – a book providing advice on growing garden food – HowTo.co.uk takes a look at the how we can reduce our own carbon footprint by growing our own food.
The last decade has seen an amazing change in people’s perception of what humankind has done to the planet. Phrases and terms such as carbon footprint, eco-friendly and carbon neutral have come from seemingly nowhere to become ingrained in our daily vocabulary. Now every company is selling their green credentials, but what can we do to help ourselves?
Growing Your Own
Half the vegetables and ninety-five percent of the fruit eaten in the UK come from abroad. Increasingly, transportation is by air and air travel emits more CO2 than any other form of transport. To add to these food miles, agriculture and food also accounts for nearly thirty percent of goods moved within the UK.
According to 2005 Government figures the resulting road congestion, accidents and pollution costs the UK around nine billion pounds a year. Many now are trying to reduce these figures to help preserve the environment for future generations. One of the increasingly popular ways to make a difference is to grow your own vegetables and fruit.
Be realistic
The processes of growing your own garden food cannot be taken lightly. A lot of work is required and trial and error will most likely permeate through your first endeavours. This however doesn’t dishearten many, and if you are thinking of growing your own food, you shouldn’t let it put you off either.
Choosing a plot
A great way to get into growing your own food is by creating four plots in a grid, each plot being about three metres by three metres. Some general tips for choosing a plot are:
· Make sure that you have enough space to manoeuvre around the four plots and also take into consideration conditions for optimum growth
· The site should be in a sunny spot, with good drainage, so avoid situating your plots near hedgerows, as these absorb a lot of moisture from the soil
· The site should be clear of overhanging branches and trees, and also free from the shade created by buildings
· The site should also be sheltered from the wind and protected from any local wildlife that may interfere
· Once up and running, rotation after each yield will prevent soil nutrient exhaustion
Why bother?
It sounds relatively simple, but why bother at all? River Cottage owner and founder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall describes growing your own as ‘a form of self-expression, an assertion of personal liberty. It’s a kind of opting out of the world as you’re told it must be in favour of the world as you’d like it to be.’ Sounds like a good enough reason to me.
Vertical Gardens
With increasing urbanisation, and lack of space in already urban areas, how are many supposed to grow their own food? Gardeners are no longer thinking laterally, they’re climbing up the walls and looking to the skies.
“Vertical Gardens” or “Le Mur Vegetal” have been in the commercial sector of architecture for some time now after their invention by Patrick Blanc, but are increasingly finding their way into the private sector. They can be implemented indoors or outdoors and have many great qualities to benefit the environment. “Vertical Gardens” act as ‘phonic and thermic isolation systems’ or soundproofing and heat insulators to you and me. They even help with air purification.
Making the World a Better Place
It is clear that the world is changing and architecture is beginning to meet these demands and concerns about the environment. Growing your own food is one way that we can help combat climate change, if not to help make you feel a little better about yourself, and I’d strongly recommend that you give it a try.
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