Regenerative Gardening

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Gardens in Britain cover an estimated 10 million acres; an area greater than all of our nature reserves combined and just under half the utilised agricultural land. As isolated islands, our gardens may be small, but when viewed en mass they become a patchwork quilt of opportunity. 

Gardens create corridors for wildlife, their soils offer potential for carbon sequestration, they can become thriving, beautiful habitats for wildlife and humans! They offer a safe space for us to reconnect with nature, harvesting the social, emotional and physical benefits of cultivating the land, and maybe most importantly, our gardens offer us the chance to build community. Growing, harvesting, preparing and eating food, when done together, has an uncanny tendency to spark powerful, supportive communities.

With nature deficit disorder on the rise, engaging with our gardens by growing our own food, or by providing habitat for our wildlife  could create powerful grass roots movements, healing for the individual, the community & the land. When we act as responsible land stewards, care for and give to the earth, the earth gives back in return. It gives fertile, living soils, diverse crops, wildlife like birds and insects who help us manage pests and diseases. 

Our garden spaces are free classrooms. The natural world teaches us of cyclical living, it teaches us that in nature waste does not exist, it teaches us that diversity is key. When we approach a landscape as a teacher, it’s not ‘my way or the highway,’ it’s ‘stop, listen and learn.’ By watching and understanding the patterns of diverse, wild landscapes we can bring them into our domestic growing spaces. We can learn to harness the momentum of nature rather than working against it. Watch how the elements move through your space, how insects and animals interact with it, mimicking the wild natural world.