We have to give something back if we are to keep taking! I think that is one of the major messages that is going on in the world today. Oil production, producing plastic, climate change, eating meat – everything seems to have been all about greed over good. What is changing is the attitude that this cannot continue. It is gradual but the pace is starting to accelerate now.
The motor trade has suffered and the Hybrid and Electric cars are starting to become the norm though this is just the tip of the iceberg in that industry. Sponsorship from the likes of BP and other major polluters is now being declined and protested about. Greta Thunberg is rallying the next generation against climate change and profligate jet-setting lifestyle of today. People are now are of their carbon footprint.
With regard to meat over vegetables that argument definitely has two sides and the balance has gone wayward on both sides. Yes we eat too much red meat and we need to look at how it is produced better for the planet’s sake. But it has its place. Likewise digging over deserts in Peru and using vast supplies of water to grow vegetables that then use air miles is seriously wrong. Eating seasonally and growing organically locally would seem to be the future.
So everything in the garden of the world is not rosy and needs sorting. So what are we doing in our own garden? Well, at Petals and Pixels we are doing our bit and try and work with nature and not against. We make our own compost and when we buy it in it is peat-free. In fact we are currently using the Lakeland products – which one is bracken based and the other is wool based. We are in our first year of using this and whilst we do not have any results yet – we are very impressed with the wool compost especially.
Of course in the past the farmers had a good market for the wool as it was made into clothes but now we wear fleece made from plastic instead! The wool compost is lovely to touch and its great property is its capacity to retain water. I can see us in the future going direct to farmers for the wool. So we are making changes and our motto is “grown not flown” and we aim to provide our flowers locally without air miles with less damage to the environment. So we are encouraging everyone to buy local and buy responsibly.
For home-grown flowers (and photography) in the Scottish Borders – Petals and Pixels