Regenerative gardening practices in your home garden
When we think of Spring, we think of beginnings, growth, renewal and regeneration. So why not integrate some regenerative gardening techniques into our home gardens?
As new gardening concepts are introduced, we adapt our gardening styles accordingly. This doesn’t mean following every latest trend. This means learning about something new and changing because of a love and respect for the environment. Regenerative gardening is one of those concepts we are starting to hear about a lot more. There are elements you might already know about or use in your garden.
The soil is at the heart of regenerative gardening. There is a whole web of activity happening below the surface. The roots of all the plants and soil microbes form a complex network through which plants can access the nutrients and water they need to survive and thrive. Consequently, regenerative gardening requires a no-dig approach, so we do not disturb that hidden web of activity. We can sequester carbon dioxide in the soil so as not to release it into the atmosphere. On a larger scale, regenerative agriculture is used by farmers to create more sustainable food systems. We can apply the same concepts to our gardens on a smaller scale.
In our home gardens
If you’re already concentrating on living a more sustainable lifestyle, then this technique of gardening is for you. In our home gardens, we can focus on building healthy soil, using organic growing techniques and avoiding synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, taking a no-till approach and planting for diversity.
The microcosms you create in your garden can make a difference. It’s your little way to fight climate change, one small step at a time.
Feeding the soil
The first step in feeding your soil is to apply a layer of compost to your garden. Compost will provide many benefits, including adding nutrients and increasing water retention. This will help your plants, especially in drought conditions or over the summer when things get a little dryer. It also helps minimise soil erosion. Our garden “waste” - grass clippings, leaves, stems, etc., can all be broken down and put back into our gardens. You can also use kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. But how does this all work?
In a nutshell, carbon, nitrogen, and many other essential plant nutrients are released into the soil upon a plant’s death (or upon the digested plant being excreted by whatever organism ate it). As plant matter decomposes, the nutrients it contains go on to nourish another generation of plants. Composting creates a sort of semi-artificial nutrient cycle. Yes, the nutrients are eventually recycled back into the soil, but instead of allowing plant and animal waste to sit around and naturally decompose wherever it falls, composting makes all the decomposition take place in one spot. The “waste” is condensed into a small area to break down, and then, once it’s fully decomposed, it’s spread back onto the garden, where it can help nourish further plant growth.
So, instead of paying to get rid of your garden waste, leave it in your backyard and get creative; if you have room, of course. We’ve seen some beautiful fences and garden borders created using old sticks and twigs. You can stack logs from felled trees to create privacy areas or use them as furniture! There are so many possibilities.
Plant with purpose
Whether you want to grow food in your garden or expand a perennial garden, try to be mindful of what you plant. As our summers get hotter, drought tolerance in plants is essential. When choosing plants, think about resilience. What’s going to survive the extreme conditions, whether it’s wet or dry?
We’ve been trying to add natives to gardens. These plants you can find on a bush walk in nature and have adapted to our specific NZ climate. If you don’t have a lot of space in your garden, you can try our Native Garden Green Walls and Succulent Walls. We also have Organic Kai Green Walls, which are an excellent starter for growing your own veggies and herbs, and with food prices the way they are, this is not a silly idea!
Welcome wildlife into your garden
Wildlife plays a valuable role in our gardens, and we must foster that relationship and its multifaceted benefits. Bringing visitors into your garden in the way of insects and birds can be highly beneficial. Birds eat insect pests and feed them to their young; bees and butterflies help pollinate flowers and crops; frogs eat flies, wax moth larvae, slaters and small cockroaches, crickets, locusts, and moths; and ladybugs, lacewings, and other predatory insects munch on many common garden pests.
Rewild parts of your garden
Rewilding is a buzzword you might have heard of lately. Simply, it lets nature take over a space once cultivated or used for something else. Larger-scale projects are restoring an ecosystem over a sizable area to what it once was. In your home garden, it might mean dedicating an area of your backyard to becoming an unmanicured space. You could dig in a small selection of native plants and then don’t touch them! You are essentially letting nature do the rest.