“We can change the world one garden at a time”

Are you concerned about the planet: climate change, the decline in insect numbers and the loss of biodiversity? Do you have a garden?

If you said “yes” to the above questions, there is something you can do...

There are approximately 2 million occupied dwellings in the Republic of Ireland – that means between 1.5 and 2 million gardens!

If we all did one thing for the environment, we could make some huge changes.

“We can change the world one garden at a time,” that’s according to Ciarán De Buitléar, a passionate horticulturist from Stamullen who says there are a number of things we can do to help the planet as we grow.

Tip 1: We can change the world! They might need it after we’re gone. Plant more native plants, grow some veg, replace grass with wild flowers or make a bug hotel!

Tip 2: Invest in a water butt, a plastic container that stores rainwater by collecting it from the rooftop and can easily be attached to your rainwater drainage system.

Tip 3: Save some seeds and plant a hedgerow, let some of your grass grow long.

Tip 4: Put up some bird or bat boxes.

Tip 5: Avoid peat based compost and plant some green manure!

Tip 6: Add some standing water to your garden. Stop using chemical insecticides. Make leaf mould that is formed from decaying leaves and produces an invaluable soil conditioner. Dig the soil as little as possible Let some nettles grow (behind the shed).

Tip 7: Plant for pollinators. Start a compost heap, make a log pile, plant a native tree, Use your brown bin!

Tip 7: Reduce, reuse plastic Get the kids involved!

Ciaran and his family are behind an eco friendly project to encourage young people to ditch the screens and embrace gardening and the outdoors.

The family whose “Gardening Well” blog has 50,000 followers on social media and are advocates of sustainability believes that “if we can’t be together, we can grow together.”

To find out more please check out the De Buitléar family on twitter:

@GardeningWell