Sustainable Gardening - 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 🌱✨

1. Choose native, non-invasive plants
Native plants tend to require less control, less watering, and don’t take over their environment. In turn lowering the maintenance required to care for your garden - and reducing or removing the need for pesticide usage.

2. Think perennial
Where possible, choose perennial over annual. Annual plants require the digging of soil each year, which damages the soil structure and releases CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

3. Pollinator-friendly
Open, single flowers offer the most accessible nectar and pollen for many pollinators. Night-scented flowers and white flowers, will attract night-flying moths.

4. Plant a tree
Planting the right tree in the right place can provide a long-term, low maintenance habitat for many species, food for others, and welcome shade for all. Trees help reduce summer temperature with leaves acting as a parasol and Evapotranspiration.

Find out more about Evapotranspiration with this short video: https://youtu.be/WGXGXUf0v1c

Sustainable Gardening - Water Conservation

Conserving water in your garden has multiple advantages. It helps combat climate change, saves energy, and promotes healthy soil. Efficient watering techniques, drought-tolerant plant choices, and financial savings are key. Remember, every drop counts! 

Here are five ways to implement change in your garden:

I. Plant Selection
Choose drought-tolerant rather than water-intensive plants where possible

2. Capture Rainwater
Rainwater is a free and natural source of water that you can use for your garden. You can install a rain barrel or a water butt to collect rainwater from your roof or other surfaces.

3. Improve Soil Structure
Compacted layers in the soil should be eliminated, with good soil structure maintained. This will allow plant roots to explore the maximum amount of soil and extract the most water for their requirements.

4. Mulch your Soil
Cover the soil surface with organic materials such as straw, bark, compost, or grass clippings, to minimise evaporation.

5. Water Wisely
The best time to water your plants is early in the morning or late in the evening, when the temperature is cooler, and the evaporation rate is lower.

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 - Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan Survey

The draft plan provided as part of this consultation is more aspirational than ever, with 28 proposed designations for Local Green Space in the town and villages within the area of the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan.

𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 via on online survey by 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒. ​Once you’ve read the Plan you can comment on all of it, or just on the parts that matter to you (questions can be skipped). Find out more: https://www.calnecommunityplan.com/ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/YNBuI6 Check out our latest leaflet: https://bit.ly/CCNPR14

𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝟐 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 - 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟖: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 - 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞​

 Have your say and respond to the consultation on the draft updated Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan.

​This is part of our Regulation 14 consultation that is running between 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 - 𝟐𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Your concerns and comments will help improve and finalise a Plan that gives our community a proactive and strong voice in the planning and development and protection of the town, villages, and natural environments of the Calne Community Plan Area.

We also look to formalise the recognition of local historic assets and to ensure that we keep the 25% of Community Infrastructure Levy planning charge rather, which will drop to 15% without a Neighbourhood Plan.

Find out more by visiting: https://www.calnecommunityplan.com/

​𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/YNBuI6

Check out our latest leaflet: https://bit.ly/CCNPR14

Come along to one of the face-to-face events

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 - 𝟏𝟓.𝟑𝟎 - 𝟏𝟖.𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 - 𝟏𝟎.𝟑𝟎 - 𝟏𝟒.𝟎𝟎 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 - 𝟏𝟎.𝟑𝟎 - 𝟏𝟒.𝟎𝟎 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞, 𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥

Sustainable Gardening - Home Composting

Recycle Now have calculated that composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your kettle produces annually, or your washing machine produces in three months.

To find out more about the benefits of home composting and to download a masterclass on how, read on...

1. Reduced Landfill Waste
Composting organic materials in a garden setting diverts kitchen scraps, yard waste, and other organic matter from landfills. Not only does this reduce transport, and potential financial costs, but prevents this waste decomposing to create methane.

2. Nutrient-Rich Soil Amendment
Compost adds essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil, enhancing its fertility. This, in turn, promotes healthier plant growth and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.

3. Water Conservation
Improved water retention capacity of soil enriched with compost helps reduce water runoff and promotes efficient water use in gardens. Compost acts as a sponge, holding onto moisture and releasing it gradually to plants.

4. Supports Biodiversity
Composting fosters a diverse community of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, which play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter. This activity not only accelerates the composting process but also contributes to a healthy soil ecosystem, enhancing plant resilience, disease resistance, and overall ecosystem biodiversity.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞?
Get help from the RHS - Royal Horticultural Society by using their 'Making compost masterclass'. A downloadable PDF available here:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/.../the.../2014-issues/February/co...

Wiltshire Council subsidise composters and worm farms for residents. Check out your options here:
https://www.greatgreensystems.com/wiltshire-council/

 

Sustainable Gardening - Go Peat-Free

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧? 𝐆𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞!

Peat, formed from incompletely decomposed remains of sedges, mosses, reeds and grass species, is used in compost and sometimes soil conditioners because it is an ideal growing medium.

Using peat is not sustainable as peatlands grow at the slow rate of 1mm each year. A 10-metre-deep layer will have taken around 10,000 years to form.

Four main reasons that peatlands are so important:

1. They form a unique natural habitat supporting many rare species.
2. They lock up about a third of the world’s soil carbon. (And twice as much as the world's forests).
3. They play an important role in the water cycle contributing to quantity of freshwater, water quality, and flood prevention.
4. They are an archive of archaeological and geochemical history.

Sale of peat & peat-containing products to the amateur gardening sector will be banned by 2024.