Gardens are often bright and happy places during the summer months, perfect outdoor spaces for parties, paddling pools, and makeshift football pitches! Here at IWOOT we would like to take it a little step further and show you how to use your garden, no matter the size, for even greater things.
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BEES
While bees can be quite scary for some people, they are absolutely vital to our ecosystem; they pollinate over 70 different crops that we use on a weekly basis. In recent years, bee populations have drastically declined across the UK which could mean terrible news for us humans. However, lovely people and their lovely gardens could help towards changing all of that, just by planting the right flowers! Some plants are shaped or coloured in such a way that bees avoid them. If they have long tunneled petals or little pollen, bees won’t pollinate them. So make sure you choose brightly coloured, open and pollen-filled flowers such as sunflowers, that will not only help the bees, but will make your garden beautiful too! If you’re unsure about which plants to use for Operation Save the Planet then use the guide created by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to start your journey towards bee-ing kind!
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BUTTERFLIES
Encouraging children to help you in your supergarden is a great idea, it is both fun and educational. You could start by growing your own butterfly garden; not only will they love seeing their plants and flowers grow each day, but you can spend time together spotting beautiful butterflies and searching for cocoons. Showing children around you that you’re excited by nature will spark their own interest, which can have a lasting positive effect on the environment.
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BIRDS
Birds are incredibly important members of our ecosystem here on earth; they transport seeds, fruit and pollen around the country, helping to naturally maintain and develop the population of different plants and crops. While they help increase some populations, they also naturally control pest populations such as mosquitoes, particularly important during the summer! So make sure to give birds a home in your garden and buy a new birdhouse or hang a bird feeder to encourage daily visits. You could even print one of these checklists and keep track of what you see and hear!
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GROW YOUR OWN
Another simple step that will help save the planet is to start growing your own vegetable patch, or herb garden. Working for your potatoes or rosemary will encourage you to reduce the amount of produce that you waste and help you save too! Make sure you buy a starter kit this summer and start growing tomatoes or chilies ready for some warm autumn dishes, we can promise they’ll taste even better than usual.
Go, now! Start your garden makeover and save the environment!
Now that you know about the birds and the bees…and well butterflies and vegetables too, get into your garden and help save the planet! As Margaret Mead says, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” If you are a thoughtful and committed citizen taking steps towards saving the planet this year then we’d love to hear from you, tell us about what you’re doing in the comments box below!
Feature Image Source: iStock
