By Chris Pratt
The concept of gardening and what constitutes a beautiful garden is changing, albeit slowly, in Europe, North America and elsewhere. In an age when we are making plant and animal species extinct every day (4 plant species per day on average are made extinct by human activity according to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew), we need to change attitudes, concepts and behaviour.
So why is environmental gardening (aka eco-gardening or environmentally-friendly gardening) important for gardeners in Antigua and Barbuda?
- Environmental gardening helps to save our beautiful native species and natural biodiverse ecosystems and remove alien invasives which destroy our native species
- Environmental gardening uses sustainably sourced materials
- Environmental gardening enriches your life — you are constantly learning more about the hundreds of wonderful natural plants and wildlife that we have
So, let us compare environmental gardening with what you might call “standard gardening”. Let us assume you are starting from scratch with a new plot of land. Clearly, there is a spectrum of approaches in practice – most people now use some environmentally friendly techniques and very few have adopted all the ideas suggested here.
Step Standard Gardening
1 Bulldoze/backhoe all living plant and associated wildlife from the plot
2 Make as low-maintenance as possible by putting down grass and concrete over most of the plot
3 Buy top soil from unsustainable sources (sometimes illegally bulldozed from Body Ponds and other natural endangered areas)
4 Buy imported plants used in almost every other garden – ones that often are not suited to our climate and environment
5 Water profusely every year in the dry season
6 Use chemicals to kill native plants as well as birds, bats, tree frogs, geckos, lizards etc
7 Use weed whackers and other machines wherever possible to remove all weeds, good or bad
8 Buy tea, medicines, fruit from the supermarket
9 Remove every fallen leaf etc and burn them
Environmental Gardening
1 Carefully remove invasive species, leaving native species where possible and ensuring the soil is not left to erode
2 Grow grass where appropriate e.g. for children to play ball games. Elsewhere, grow plants which need little maintenance, and especially native species where possible
3 Compost plant and food materials – use this to enrich the soil. If absolutely necessary to buy soil, make absolutely certain it is legal and sustainably sourced
4 Plant native species where possible and some choice introduced species. Select wildlife/bird-friendly species. Seek advice to ensure they are from a sustainable source
5 Plant drought- and hurricane-tolerant species that need little attention, especially native species
6 Use few, if any, chemicals. There are natural organic pesticides which can be used around food crops. Remove only invasive species. Do nothing to harm wildlife
7 Closely study what you see growing in the garden and use your hands (with gloves) to remove invasive species
8 Grow native tea, medicine and fruit plants
9 Burn nothing. Where possible, let fallen plant material rot down naturally – it will enrich the soil and is a haven for wildlife. Compost as much as possible
So, in summary, given that we need to change our attitudes and behaviour, what are the main learning points?
Don’t fight nature; work with it and care for it. Study and learn about our native species including those that attract birds and other wildlife. Plant native species wherever possible. Seek advice to ensure they are from a sustainable source. Remove only invasive species. Stop worrying about “weeds”. Use hands more and machines less. Recycle and compost as much as possible.
The same is true for wildlife—care for our native birds, butterflies, tree frogs, geckos, lizards, bats, etc. that enrich our biodiversity and are vital to a healthy ecosystem, but remove alien invasives, eg. Cuban tree frogs, giant African snails, fire ants, and rats. Seek advice on humane ways to deal with invasive species. Educate our children to learn about and care for nature.