IF you are wondering how can you help as an individual with the climate crisis, one answer might be no further than your own back garden!

We all know that if we plant a tree, that trees help to store carbon. This is by the process of photosynthesis transferring carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, into the carbon that makes up their wood, roots and leaves. But did you know the same applies for all other plants, too? And some plants grow faster than trees, meaning their potential carbon storage is larger!

In order to ‘sequester’ the carbon stored in the plants, to a form that won’t be released back into the atmosphere, you need to first make compost, then add it to the soil by layering it on top. Avoid however, the process of digging, as this exposes stored carbon already in the soil to oxygen in the atmosphere, oxidising it and turning it into carbon dioxide again.

Following the ‘no dig’ method of gardening is similar to how nature works. Just add compost to the surface of your beds – this mulch has the added advantage of suppressing weeds and making your plants healthier.

One thing I love about gardening is that if your garden is a mixture of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and climbers, you will regularly have to prune and remove the year’s growth, which is an incredibly therapeutic and satisfying activity.

If you don’t have the time or space to make compost, you can get the council to do it for you, by having a green bin removed once a week and buying it back as municipal compost. So if you were thinking of removing that shrub because of the maintenance it requires, think again, because its very existence can help reduce your carbon footprint, plus being a habitat for birds and other wildlife.

If you don’t have many plants in your garden, you could think about adding more. HELEN GILLINGHAM