Gardens play a vital role in keeping city emissions levels down by absorbing CO2, and also help people to engage with the environment. Try to use as much of your garden space as productively as possible, and don�t cover too much of it with decking or lawns.
Grow your own
Most of the food we buy travels long distances to get to us, even if it�s not produced that far away. Between the field and your kitchen, food clocks up CO2 emissions as it travels between factories, warehouses and shops. Reduce �food miles� by growing your own! Check out http://www.rocketgardens.co.uk/ for an instant, organic kitchen-garden growing kit delivered to your door.
Why not get your school involved? Check out www.christianaid.org.uk/learn and our children's website www.globalgang.org for more information.
Space savers - multi-storey gardens
Multi-storey planters made out of old tyres are perfect for a balcony or small garden. In parts of Kenya, particulary in slums where land, water and fertile areas are scarce, multi-storey planters allow people to maximise the number of crops they can grow.
Instructions for building your can be found on www.globalgang.org.
Make your own compost
Recycle your old grass cuttings, uncooked food, teabags - in fact any organic matter! You'll get natural manure for your garden and at the same time reduce pressure on landfill sites across the country.
Contact your local council for special offers on composters and wormeries.
Christian Aid projects
Christian Aid partner, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, teaches communities organic pest control and simple conservation techniques to increase crop yield. All these activities helps people survive droughts and brings in extra money to pay for medicines and their children's schooling.
No more pesticides!
For example, mango trees have weights tied to their branches, thrusting the fruit into sun, which helps produce bigger, healthier crops. Why not try the same idea with fruit trees in your garden?
Companion planting is a great way to ensure your crops are eco-friendly but bug-free.
Here are a couple of tips to try: