Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program

CLIMATE CHANGE AND GARDENING

What does global warming mean to gardeners? If we accept the reasoning of the great majority of scientific thinkers, we are already in the throes of this phenomenon. It would be wise for gardeners to give it some thought. Florida’s residential gardeners will be vulnerable to the long term effects of climate changes. Large agricultural and farming segments of the economy will probably get advice and help from state agencies, but what about those of us who garden as a hobby, who have spent much money on our existing plantings and appreciate the beauty and increased value they bring to our properties? How should we plan? How can we keep our plants and not add to global warming, and perhaps even help promote solutions to global warming at the same time?

We might operate under the physician’s code of “First, do no harm”. If this were followed universally, we might at least maintain the status quo, and rely on reductions in fossil fuel use for transportation and energy to save us. Gardeners might be justified in doing that, as it wasn’t hobby gardening that caused the problems we face. However, there are other avenues we can take, and even home gardeners can help turn global warming around. No matter who caused it or how it was caused, it will affect us all, so perhaps we can be a part of the solution.

Trees. Cherish them if you have them, plant them if you don’t. Shade trees can reduce energy consumption by air conditioners up to 70%. Trees also absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas primarily responsible for global warming. One tree can remove a ton of CO2 from the atmosphere in its lifetime.

Gas-powered yard tools. Minimize their use. They use fossil fuels and emit pollution. Human power behind a lawn mower or clippers, or weeding by hand is much kinder to the environment. Just replacing some of your lawn with mulched shrubbery beds and native wildflower gardens will cut down on lawn mower CO2 emissions as well as noise pollution, and also provide some wonderful exercise.

Plant only natives in new plantings. Native plants are our best weapon in precluding invasive non-native plant intrusions. Natives usually need less water and fertilizer than exotic (non-native) plants. Florida natives can usually withstand heat and water shortages better than exotic plants. Heavier downpours and more intense storms associated with global warming will lead to flooding in some vulnerable areas, but wider drought and heat wave conditions may well lead to more residential yard-watering restrictions in others. As a side benefit, native plants afford the best food for native wildlife and birds. Ask your local nursery if you have questions as to whether a plant is native to Florida. There are many good books available, see below for some sources.

Rain barrels and wise watering. It’s time to consider some simple, old fashioned ways to conserve water, as well as new ways. Rain barrels are becoming more widespread, as householders are discovering the joys of always having a guilt-free water supply on hand. If roof water isn’t captured, as in rain barrels, it may go to waste as regards your watering needs. There are very decorative barrels on the market, and treatment to preclude mosquito breeding in them is easy. Water mornings and evenings only, as mid-day watering results in much evaporation loss, and use drip irrigation for the same reason.

Mulching is an important component of water conservation for plantings. Your local nursery will have many choices of materials for mulch, however a good home grown one is grass clippings and raked leaves, which also saves gas in refuse collecting and space in landfills. One most important word on mulching would be advising Florida gardeners to refrain from using cypress mulch, and complain loudly to garden centers that sell it that use of it is depleting Florida’s precious cypress trees, and claims of distributors of cypress mulch that it is a by-product of other uses for cypress wood is just not true.

We can also save energy and refuse to contribute to global warming by using solar and compact fluorescent garden lighting, and timers to turn off that lighting when not needed. The cumulative effect of many gardeners using the above simple methods can make a difference.

A healthy environment means better conditions for Florida’s fish and wildlife, and more hope for their conservation and protection. The Florida Wildlife Federation is committed to encouraging individual Floridians to aid in the battle against global warming. The Federation’s President, Manley K. Fuller, III, has recently been appointed to serve on Governor Charlie Crist’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, a newly formed task force of 21 members charged with making recommendations in a timely manner for upcoming rulings regarding Florida’s role in global warming.

To find out more, e-mail our Habitat Coordinator, Pat Pearson at patricia@fwfonline.org for information on publications and websites with listings of native plants of Florida.

Click on the image at left to be directed to NWF's Online Certification Page. Using this link ensures that FWF receives a portion of NWF's certification fee to be used specifically for Florida causes and issues.