London. In order to get a better grip on the consequences of climate change in cities, a British scientist recommends targeted incentives for garden owners. The idea presented by Ross Cameron from the University of Sheffield should be rewarded for creating green, sustainable gardens, for example with tax breaks or reduced water prices.

Gardens, which account for as much as a third of urban space, are “essential for keeping buildings and urban environments cool in the summer, absorbing rain, preventing flooding and providing an important refuge for animals,” argues Cameron. Gardens have to be green and full of plants, according to the scientist, who advocates that overgrown gardens should no longer be socially outlawed, but encouraged.

Researchers: gravel gardens harmful to the urban environment

Trends like gravel gardens could be very detrimental to the urban environment. According to the researcher, concrete areas used as car parking spaces or sterile outdoor areas are factors that increase temperatures in cities and the risk of flooding.

According to his analysis, in the past 20 years alone, half of the green garden areas have been lost in some cities. Plants are sometimes controlled with weed killers. “These chemicals are polluting our waterways and damaging the ecological function of our gardens,” Cameron said.

Researchers are in favor of banning weed killers

If he had his way, garden owners should be financially rewarded if they planted at least 50 percent of their open space with greenery, or planted or maintained trees. The researcher spoke out in favor of a ban on weed killers – as well as for a maximum permissible area that can be laid out with artificial turf. When planning new buildings, it should also be mandatory to provide for well-planted green spaces.

In Germany, too, authorities and environmentalists are increasingly opposed to the sealing of garden areas. Baden-Württemberg banned the creation of new gravel gardens in 2020, and they are also not permitted in several other federal states and municipalities. According to Lower Saxony’s building code, gravel gardens have been prohibited since 2012 – the Lüneburg Higher Administrative Court only recently confirmed that building authorities in Lower Saxony are allowed to ban gravel gardens.

“Consciously mowing less often is a sign of ecological awareness”

The German Horticultural Society (DGG), together with the project “Thousands of Gardens – Thousands of Species” and the Rhineland-Palatinate Garden Academy, are currently calling for the “Mow-free May” campaign. In many places, mowing is done up to twice a week or more in May, and in many neighborhoods there is social pressure to be “tidy”. “The call not to mow in May may feel downright revolutionary.”

But the idea caught on, and many gardening enthusiasts have since taken part. “Consciously mowing less often is not a sign of neglect, but of ecological awareness,” said the DGG. A conscious approach to your own garden helps to counteract the global sustainability crisis. And the result is beautiful: “After there was no mowing in May, you can enjoy the Pentecost weekend in the garden and immediately experience the effect of your useful “lazy gardening”, because it is blooming and humming in all corners.”

RND/dpa