What’s a born and bred city girl doing trying to transform a concrete slab of a back yard into a home grown garden packed with succulent and nutritious organic vegetables? Have I gone mad or could I be on to something?
 My organic idea sprouted from two very unlikely places....
Firstly, a few weeks ago I was sat listening to an environmentalist friend bemoaning the degradation of natural habitats in Sri Lanka. Little did I know that the loss of natural spaces on the island was contributing to the endangered status of many of our endemic species. This may not sound very exciting but imagine this… About 27% of our plants and 22% of our wildlife is endemic. That means these plants and animals can only be found on our island and once they’re gone, they’re gone. No more beautiful Blue Mormon butterflies, or the red brown Leaf Dwelling Shrub Frog. They’ll be extinct forever.
Secondly I looked with new eyes at the Mahinda “Lets grow and get the country stronger” campaign calling on people to set up home gardens. I had never before considered this campaign could apply to me or my sad looking concrete slab of a garden. How easy would it be to grow my own organic vegetables without the help of dangerous and destructive pesticides and fertilisers? I couldn’t help but wonder if succulent tomatoes, earthy potatoes and tangy chillies could be within my reach. I was excited at the fact they could growing right outside my kitchen door, no need for energy intensive transportation for my veggies that’s for sure!
I also thought of my earlier conversation with my environmentalist friend... if I used my new green space well could I create a habitat to encourage the return of endemic animals to my small patch of garden, doing my little bit to help safeguard our incredible natural heritage?
 This is all very well but what happens if, like me, you are clueless about where to start. It’s time to call in the professionals... Rainforest Rescue International has more than six years experience in protecting vulnerable environments through ecosystem restoration and development of sustainable livelihoods. Their programmes include the setting up of more than 700 home gardens using sustainable and organic principles, with each garden making the most of its space to maximise output and create homes for native plants and wildlife. To my delight they were incredibly enthusiastic about the idea, and quickly started coming up with lots of ideas for what and how I could transform my concrete slab into a thriving, green space.
They helped me to see that no matter how big some of our most pressing environmental issues are, me and my vegetable garden could make a real difference. I began to realise that growing my own vegetables was a great way to get active and make a stand against the non organic methods of production that systematically degrade and contaminate our land and water supplies.
So off I go on a voyage of discovery. I have a small space. I have an idea. I have people to help me. And maybe I’ll even attract a frog or two on the way! For any of you who are interested in following in my footsteps I have decided to document my journey, reporting on the tips, techniques and people I have come to rely on. I hope this will give you a detailed ‘How To’ guide to get you growing in no time!
This article was researched and written by RRI volunteer Lydia Downs. |
