Barbarians at the
garden gate
At the time of writing the temperature is 43ºC and it has been that hot for six days now. Possums are falling out of the trees dead and many plants have fried! If global warming is allowed to run its course and temperatures increase by another 5ºC to 48ºC, it is hard to imagine our gardens - let alone our grandchildren - surviving. Not only do we need to change our profligate consumer behaviour and become global citizens, but it is time to question the ecological credentials of the latest fashion in gardening – the Backyard Blitz “makeovers”. Instead of growing fruit, veggies, and flowers at home this approach assumes all our food is grown for us, which accounts for 25% of CO2 emissions. In the place of trees, shrubs and flowers there are masses of paving and steps with the obligatory flax plants standing sentinal around the BBQ!
The carbon footprint of this decorator outdoor space is immense because all those pavers and steps require so much cement (which is energy intensive) to make them, and that is before they are finally transported. Without shade to cool the soil, the pavers raise outdoor temperatures so that houses can only be made more comfortable by installing air conditioners which create a massive draw on the electricity grid. With no trees, no fruit, no veggies, no composting and no recycling, these concrete horrors are a massive contributor to our climate change problem.
That this landscape style has become so popular is thanks to those marketing geniuses at Bunnings who make immense profits supplying the pavers, the flax, and the BBQ whilst the rest of us pick up the climate change tab.
Banging the drum to Bunnings’ beat are Jamie Durie and Scott Cam. Dressed in brikkie singlets with the gas-guzzling utes in the background these tradies are showing off to the ladies rather than providing gardening enlightenment. If we allow “tradies” and Bunnings to fill the “garden ideas” vacuum we will surely fry from our own inertia.
If Jamie and Scott sowed the seeds of food gardening on their programmes they could make the first step out of the concrete BBQ pit.
What is it that we do?
Which brings us to the second point – what is it that we do? – What is a garden? Occupation of an outdoor space doesn’t constitute a garden in the sense of the British tradition we inherited. “A garden is a piece of ground devoted to the growing of flowers, fruit and vegetables” – Oxford Dictionary.
If we bring plants back into our gardens we will make a major step towards solving climate change. If we use trees and vines for shade to cool the soil we could eliminate the need for air conditioning which is the “biggest step” off the coal-fired power grid.
We need to reinstate plantmanship to its rightful position as the foundation of all gardening forms.
We inherited the noble English approach to gardening which always focused on plants that have been collected from the wild, selected for their climate and nurtured into our gardens. Their plantsmanship, gardening skills and creative achievements provide a model if we use the right plants.
Postscript: STOP PRESS
One week later, the temperature has reached 48ºC some 30-40 years early and created a holocaust with destruction of houses, gardens and soils and a terrible loss of life. The staff at Digger’s have looked on in horror as wildfires have swept through our bush. Digger’s will be happy to assist those who have lost their gardens to get re-started. See below and check our website for details.
We salute the CFA and volunteers.
Clive Blazey