Rachel de Thame's ten commandments for eco-living

Friday, January 12 2007 13:46:22 by Editor

Former model and glamorous Gardeners' World presenter Rachel de Thame has written a list of her top ten commandments to ensure that the nation's gardens are as eco-friendly as possible.

Writing for the Times, Ms de Thame said that the British public had become more environmentally aware than ever before and a growing number of them were interested in becoming green-fingered and adopting ethical ways of living.

She insists that despite living in Britain, gardeners need to conserve water. "Use water butts to collect run-off rainwater throughout the year and recycle household 'grey' water from baths and so on, ideally using biodegradable detergents and soap," she suggests.

Ms de Thame also calls on gardeners to avoid using peat, to recycle garden waste by making a compost heap and to use garden lighting responsibly, so as not to contribute to light pollution.

One of the more unusual commandments was "thou shalt leave a messy bit" which referred to leaving a pile of logs, leaves or other foliage to provide a habitat for helpful garden critters.

"Encourage hedgehogs, ladybirds and beetles into your garden and you will have an army of aphid, slug and snail-eaters permanently on call far better than reaching for the bug gun," she writes.

Finally she calls on aspiring eco-gardeners to avoid non-biodegradable products and chemicals as well as being wary over using heavy-landscaping goods like concrete, which could damage the environment.

Parents who want to inspire their children to go green are advised to introduce them to a vegetable patch where they can enjoy getting muddy and see their plants grow.

"If we are really going to change habits in the future, we have to tempt our kids away from their computers and televisions and inspire in them a genuine love of nature and respect for their planet," Ms de Thame concludes.

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