Sustainability (By Mr. Richards)
Defined as 1) The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
or 2) Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. Applying both to our daily lives; and not just to Gardening we can begin to think of lifestyle choices. A lifestyle which requires us to be a conscious consumer of goods,services and resources. As we all think about better futures, it is important to consider how each small action may add or subtract from our environment.
What makes a Garden Sustainable ? When we think of the word "Sustainable" several meanings may come to mind for example; long lasting, low maintenance; affordable; practical; easy to do. These words actually all apply to the concept of a Sustainable Garden. Planning a Sustainable Garden requires us to consider a careful balance of our Garden Goals, Time, Finances; Space (The Big Four). But getting started is actually a lot easier than we may than than we think !
In Previous posts we spoke about what makes a Garden Sustainable and the "Big Four" (Time,Space,Finances and Goals)
Starting a Sustainable Garden is actually very easy and should be based on what actually interests you! Often when persons hear the word Garden one may think "vegetables" but not all Gardens are strictly a food source. Many Gardens can actually be spaces designed with beautiful ornamental and non-edible plants. So a starting point may just be figuring out your Garden Goals.