One of my previous blogs was about everything that PECT does to make its office as sustainable as possible. I am now in the middle of buying my very first house and I’m starting to think about what environmental initiatives I can introduce at home as well.
The first thing that comes to mind is the prospect of having my very own garden! A garden to plant and grow food in; I’m so excited! Not only am I looking to grow produce, I also want to attract wildlife to the garden, especially bees.
Bee numbers have fallen drastically over the past few years. It’s important to look after our bees for a number of reasons, including the fact that bees are vital to our food chain. Without bees, one-third of the food we eat would not be available!
One way to attract more bees to your garden is to introduce nectar and pollen rich plants, such as honeysuckle, lavender and foxgloves. You can also put bee hotels in your garden, which provide nesting places for bees and offer protection from the weather.
In terms of food, I’m only going to grow it on a seasonal basis. As Spring-time draws near, I’ll be looking to grow carrots, spring onions and peas. Then, later in the year I’ll be growing blackberries, cabbage and squash.
Finally, I’ll be getting a water butt in my garden to water all the new flowers and fruit and veg, using rainwater rather than the water from my kitchen sink.
I can’t wait for my new garden and really look forward to getting stuck in – wish me luck!
Selina Wilson is the Office Manager at PECT.