WASHINGTON GARDENER How To Be A GREEN Gardener
BY KATHY JENTZ What is a “green gardener”? According to author Richard Lay, “be- ing green” means learning how to live on Earth without hurting it. Extending that principle into the garden only makes sense. Here are several ways you can green up your gardening practices. Eliminate Vehicle Trips Walk, bike, or take transit to buy your gardening supplies. When I want basic things, I can walk to my neighborhood Ace or True Value hardware store – they have almost anything you’d ever need. I don’t have a garden center or plant nursery near enough to walk to, but I can do so on the Metro and bus. Get Rid of Gas-Guzzling Equipment You have choices when buying garden equipment and machines. Do you keep maintaining the ones you have already paid off, but that use a great deal of gas and resources? Or do you buy new battery-pow- ered/electric ones? The new ones sound great, but they come with their own costs. Where is that electricity generated? (Likely a coal-burning plant). Where is the tool manufactured and imported from? (Likely overseas and shipped by slow boat.) What is the new equipment made from? (Likely it includes plastics and scarce heavy metals.) Often the “green” choice is not the obvious one. A green gardener has to do some research and weigh out all the options. Share Resources Get together with other gardeners in your neighborhood or in your garden club. Not in a garden club? Find one or form one. You can share tools and equipment — swap seeds and plants — combine deliv- eries of mulch, soil, etc.
Conserve Water Put away the hose. Select drought-tolerant plants, and when you can, use rainwater to hand water thirsty plants from the supply you have harvested in rain barrels or cisterns. You can also use “gray wa - ter”, such as the slightly soapy water from your shower and the water you boil pasta in (after it has cooled!), to water plants. Compost Make a pile and add any once-living plant materials (that are not diseased or full of weed seeds) to it. Cut up large sticks and other items
66—PATHWAYS—Spring 24
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