Monday 2 April 2007

Store water in your soil

The Royal Horticultural Society says-


Help the soil to store water by digging in or mulching with organic matter, such as well-rotted manure. This can provide the equivalent of 5cm of rain or 20 day’s supply.

Deeply digging beds or using raised beds will increase the volume of soil from which plants can take moisture.

Hard paving causes ground to shrink

Subsidence is a major cost in many areas. Houses, paths and walls can develop severe cracks and, at the least, require re-finishing. It is often caused by hard paving, especially over clay soils. When rainfall cannot get into the ground it can cause the soil to shrink.

Ensure natural drainage can occur close to buildings by using permeable surafces such as gravel, grass or garden soil. In areas where traffic is high and trees need protection, metal gratings around trees keep the tree roots safe and allows rainwater to drain naturally.

Are we parking on our front gardens?

Off street car parking is important, but at what expense?

Should we give up green space for parking space? Can we combine both?

The environment relies on natural groundwater drainage to take away the excess when it rains, when we clean the car. By 'paving' with permeable gravel, natural drainage can still occur. Small trees can be planted at the edge of parking spaces, allowing for ease of access, but still sucking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Consider espaliered fruit trees along the edge of a narrow driveway.

Plants that can be planted underneath where we park your car include: creeping jenny Lysimachia nummularia; bugle, Ajuga reptans; and thymes.

Tough plants that need little care and attention will do well in a 'shared' space. Try a selection of trees such as Magnolia, Malus, Prunus or Pyrus; shrubs such as Lavender, Choisya, Camellia; perennials such as geraniums, anemones, phormium, and ornamentla grasses such as stipa tenuissima. Trees are best at recycling carbon dioxide from the air, so check their final height and spread and plant as many as you can reasonably fit.