There are many approaches to gardening, whether you’re dealing with a small back yard or a large expanse of open space, and as always there is more than one way to make a creation that you can be proud of. In recent times, more and more people have opted for holistic gardening, and it’s easy to see why.
In simple terms, holistic gardening can incorporate a number of strategies that help to create a garden that does so much more than look pleasing to the eye. These strategies can include:
- Being kinder to wildlife and weeds
- The use of self-seeding plants
- Less of an emphasis on a manicured lawn
- Thinking more about the environment
- Recycling materials such as tree bark
- Greater utilisation of the sun, wind and rain
- Reducing or removing the use of chemicals
…and many more.
It’s worth noting that a holistic garden may include some or all of these strategies. As with so many other aspects of gardening, there is no right or wrong answer here; you can add your own personality and your own principles as you wish. If there’s a single underlying principle about holistic gardening, it’s perhaps that the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts.
Benefits for you, benefits for the environment
Plant and flower beds which are encouraged to grow then basically left to their own devices can become magnets for local insects and birds, and in the process will help support the ecosystem for the surrounding area. There are a number of plants which lend themselves perfectly to the concept of holistic gardening, and can be used to provide the type of garden design Scotland home owners can be proud of.
They include the foxglove, which once planted will scatter seeds around the area, and as it flourishes it will bring with it an increase in insect activity. The California poppy is also a self-seeder, and it looks beautiful when in bloom. The visual benefits to the garden are all too easy to see, but of course there are more advantages than just looking good.
Flowers that provide nectar for the local bee population in the summer are especially welcome, because this particular insect has been in decline in the UK in recent years. One of the reasons for this decline is the increase in industrial agriculture, so it’s somewhat reassuring for home owners to know they can do their bit to redress this imbalance with very little effort.
Here at Brown Earth Landscapes, we have built up a reputation for exceptional landscape gardening in Scotland, and we are always happy to discuss holistic approaches with our clients.