You don’t have to have acreage or an ‘alternative’ lifestyle to create a sustainable garden 
Story & photos: Diane Norris

For decades, Green groups and environmentalists have been promoting that we must live in respectful harmony with nature and our surrounds, and, finally, the words ‘environment’ and ‘sustainable’ have reached our lips.  What does leading a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle mean and how can we, as individuals, leave a lighter footprint on the earth?  

Australian of the Year, Dr Tim Flannery states: “We can only call ourselves Australian if we have a long-term future in this country and that means to live sustainably.” Living sustainably means meeting our needs, whether agriculturally, economically or developmentally now and into the future while simultaneously conserving natural resources and ensuring no adverse effects on the environment — and a good starting point is in our own backyards.

You can achieve sustainability even if you don’t live on acreage or have an ‘alternate’ lifestyle. You don’t even have to be an avid gardener. Sustainable gardening principles can be applied with equal ease and effect to urban courtyards, apartment balconies or the suburban family backyard.  

There are many techniques that can improve the health of your garden and living spaces, most are easy and will quickly become a way of life. Of course, sustainability reaches into our homes, too, but let’s take a look outside the doors.

Whether you grow flowers, trees, veggies or fruit, whether you have a cottage garden, a native garden or a formal landscaped garden, sustainable principles are the same. It’s all in the soil because that is where your garden’s healthy eco-system begins.

But first, the entire garden area needs consideration — where you want your garden beds, the placement of entertainment areas right up to the boundaries. Look at how the ecology of your garden operates — the slope of the land, the natural flows and the indigenous plants. Once we realise the needs in our own space we can decide how best to achieve this in harmony with nature. If you are starting from scratch your blank canvas offers endless possibilities, but an established garden is also easy to convert

Here are some sustainable gardening techniques you can try:

ORGANIC GARDENING: Organic gardening is an important ingredient of sustainable gardening. Growing plants, particularly food, without relying on pesticides or herbicides and without using inorganic fertilisers, is paramount and eliminates pollutants from leaching into our soil, water and food. Instead of reaching for a chemical spray try companion planting (where plants repel unwanted insects or attract the beneficial ones) or natural pest control (such as soapy-water sprayed onto pesky aphids). Or, on a hot, sunny day, try pouring undiluted household vinegar on those nuisance weeds.  

Embrace the good guys in your garden — the beneficial insects such as ladybirds, beetles, butterflies, the praying mantis, wasps and native bees — they will thrive in a chemical-free garden and you will quickly learn that spiders, with their beautiful, intricate webs, will capture and snare unwanted mosquitoes and pests. You will also be delighted to see a host of birds, lizards, frogs and even small native animals visit your backyard, too.

THE SOIL: The first thing to know about sustainable gardening is it all starts in the soil. Healthy soil means healthy plants. Healthy soil means strong disease- and pest-resistant plants. Healthy soil is one not polluted by chemicals. Healthy soil is full of worms and natural nutrients.

Earthworms dig large burrows which let water and air into the earth allowing plant roots to grow well and move more easily through the soil and into new spaces. As they tunnel, worms swallow soil and eat plant matter which passes through their bodies and is left in tiny piles on top of the ground. This is called castings and is an excellent and natural fertiliser.

COMPOSTING: Composting is used to supply nutrients to the soil. Establish a compost heap or bin as gardens love recycled veggie peels and you will quickly become excited about recycling in this way. Animal manures need to be forked in well and will provide natural and non-chemical nutrients to the soil. You will soon be rewarded when you dig deep and lift up soil alluviated by live worms — nature’s gift to gardening.

MULCHING: Cover your garden beds with at least 8-10cm of mulch, which can be organic materials such as shredded leaf material, straw or hay. It is best to spread onto the bed straight after rain to retain moisture. In addition to helping the soil to retain precious water, mulch also helps to retard the growth of weeds.

PLANT SELECTION: Plant diversity is vital. Plant a lot of different herbs, veggies, fruit trees, natives, ornamentals and grasses. Ideally, indigenous plants are best — that means plants that grow naturally around your locale. Of course, you can plant fruit trees, herbs and even veggies (such as tomatoes) throughout your garden.

WATER IN YOUR GARDEN: We are all aware that conserving water is a must so why not install a water tank? A licensed professional can advise you on what you need and arrange installation; you may even be able to gravity-feed this water without a pump. Try recycling your grey water — that is, water from the washing machine. There are many brands of bio-degradable washing powder that are eco-friendly and do not contain petrochemicals or harmful ingredients so the water should be safe for irrigating most plants.

An efficient watering system must be laid into all areas of your garden and again, good mulching will ensure moisture retention. Do you have room for a small pond or water feature or a bird bath? Birds, frogs and insects (yes, they drink too) will be attracted to such an oasis.  

GARDEN ELEMENTS: Safe building materials are essential. Treated pine (green-coloured pine treated with copper chrome arsenate) is being phased out because of the arsenic-based content and should not be used in playgrounds or around veggie patches. Try hardwood, cement, brick or block edging instead. If you do have old copper logs, seal thoroughly with something like Organoil, a natural timber oil produced here in Australia.

You may need to fence or cover your fruit trees from ravaging birds. Bird wire or netting is invaluable. Maybe try a scarecrow. You’ll need to provide shelters, like rocks and logs, for lizards, too. They are nature’s snail-hunters and there is nothing better than seeing a fat blue-tongued lizard patrolling in your garden. You will be delighted in hearing frogs or seeing geckos also enjoying these hidden spots.

Do you have room for a chook shed with a couple of chickens? Imagine having fresh organic eggs daily. However, you may need to check with your local council for their regulations on backyard poultry. Ducks are also great for eggs and their effective pest controlling.

WORTH REMEMBERING: You don’t need to compromise your garden design or exclude the ‘designer-style’ landscapes — with clever planning, understanding and a new appreciation of your backyard’s eco-system you can be guaranteed a healthy outdoor living space. And you don’t have to convert your whole garden if you’re still unconvinced. If you initially devote just a quarter of your yard to a sustainable effort you will quickly be rewarded.

There is so much to say about sustainability but luckily there is a wealth of information available — in books and magazines, on the web and from organisations such as Sustainable Gardening Australia (www.sgaonline.org.au). You will find that it is so easy to think globally and act locally and, before you know it, you will become excited about establishing your own sustainable backyard environment.