Invest in Our Planet for Earth Day
Earth Day 2023
2023 marked the 53rd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement, commemorated annually as Earth Day.
Every April 22nd more than 190 countries and billions of people come together to take action towards a greener future for our planet.
To protect our planet, we need to do whatever we can and gardening is a wonderful way to help diversity on planet earth. The theme for 2023 is Invest in Our Planet and we all have the power to make a difference.
One way we can actively participate is planting a garden for pollinator. This could be a border, some pots in a courtyard or containers on a balcony.
The populations of all species have declined over the last few decades, but the dramatic drop in the population of bees is of huge concern. This is because of the vital role bees play as pollinators. Without the bees, many of the world’s most important crops would fail and directly affect our food supply.
Earth Day and planting a pollinator garden
Planting some flowers for pollinators will really help make a difference. The photo above shows one of my borders filled with cornflowers, honka pink dahlias, honka fragile dahlias, godetia, coreopsis, cosmos, and feverfew to name a few of the flowers I have grown. All of these were seeds sown, except for the dahlias which were planted as tubers.
Bees and butterflies were constant visitors, and it was a heart-warming and colourful sight all summer long last year. My post Counting beautiful butterflies, gardeners can help gives you some ideas to help the butterfly.
I have been sowing seeds and planting for pollinators for over 30 years and it is so rewarding. You get a beautiful garden and know that you are helping your busy pollinators too.
Leaving your lawn uncut for longer
Leaving your lawn uncut for up to a month allows wildflowers to grow. This is greatly beneficial for pollinators and other wildlife. The photo above shows how quickly daisies and buttercups will flower. As a result, this area in my garden was buzzing with bees and insect life within two weeks. In addition, red clover also flowered soon after this photo was taken, again a magnet for pollinators and a pretty flower for your lawn.
If you have space, why not have an area for wildflowers. Wildflowers can also be sown and grown in a pot.
Planting a tree for Earth Day
Another great option is planting a tree. If you do not have a large garden, there are dwarf fruit trees that could be planted such as cherry, apple and plum. These will blossom for pollinators and provide you with fruit, so they are an excellent choice. An acer could be grown in a pot on a balcony if you do not have a garden, providing interest, form, and colour.
I have bought my dear friend, the Cosmos Queen, who stars in some of my blogs Greatest benefits of becoming a gardener and the amazing benefits of gardening, a magnolia for her birthday. The beautiful flowers are usually white, light or dark pink and some varieties will bloom in April and again in August. When visiting my garden, the Cosmos Queen had mentioned that she loved the tree I had. Consequently, I made a note, ready for a birthday surprise. The secret is out so she will not mind me sharing this with you now!
I purchased the Magnolia from Thompson & Morgan. A beautiful healthy tree which arrived promptly. I can thoroughly recommend them as a supplier of trees and plants, having been a customer for many years.
Click here for Thompson and Morgan small trees
This blog is an affiliate member of Thomson & Morgan. If you purchase using the link above, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
So, whatever you can do, our planet will benefit. You will also benefit, as gardening for such a great cause can only be a boost to your wellbeing, knowing that you are joining forces with billions of other people to make a difference.
Going wild for wildlife
To find out more about wildlife, check out my 30 Days Wild posts below when I took part in the Wildlife Trust 30 day Wild challenge and had a thoroughly wild time!
Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful
30 Days Wild. First week challenge
30 Days Wild, week two of the challenge
The fantastic wildness of magic week 3
Wild 30 days. The beautiful finale
Thank you for whatever you can do for Earth Day and beyond, and for our future. And do join in the next 30 days wild challenge if you can. I promise you, if can be great fun. In addition, you find out so much about the wildlife we share the planet with.
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