By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
According to Earth.org, sustainability means “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In general, sustainability refers to the ability to maintain a process or state for a lengthy period. Over the past few years, the term has been used by all different sorts of businesses, including the food and fashion industries.
For those of us who are gardeners and stewards of the land, sustainability means we work to reduce pesticide and herbicide usage, avoid single-use plastics and in general reduce our carbon footprint.
One of the easiest ways to increase sustainability is to reduce the use of single-use plastic. I find that a reuseable water bottle not only saves the environment but saves my wallet as well. Instead of using a plastic bag a single time, can you easily shake out any crumbs or rinse it out and reuse it? Do you need to use that straw at a casual dining restaurant? Do you need to use a plastic produce bag at the grocery store for those two lemons?
There are several trends that really support sustainable living: buying food locally, resisting “fast fashion” and replacing lawns with natural, native landscapes. I’m so happy to see a “crunchier” lifestyle being adopted even here in the Land of Steady Habits. If you haven’t been to either the Milford or Orange farmers markets this past year, you missed a great opportunity to meet our local farmers and bakers. The variety of vendors is impressive and the quality excellent.
The rise of online clothing resellers such as Poshmark and RealReal have helped to legitimize the habit of thrifting. This is a wonderful way to reduce your carbon footprint by both selling and buying. Could you resell that wool sweater and “thrift” a new one? It is estimated by Carbonfact that 75 percent of the carbon footprint of wool comes from the “born to farm gate,” so buying used significantly reduces your carbon footprint.
The newest landscape trend is towards naturized spaces, or “rewilding” them. The movement away from the golf course appearance to a landscape that supports native insects and plant life creates a much more interesting palette.
If you must eliminate weeds, try digging them up or spot treating them rather than having systemic herbicides applied. Replacing turf grasses with native plants usually means less watering and maintenance and more diversity and a lower carbon footprint.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Garden Club of Orange and a master gardener.