Eco-Friendly Benefits of Veggie Gardening

We all know the obvious environmentally friendly benefits of “green” gardening. Green gardeners often work to eliminate all harmful herbicides and pesticides from their yards, incorporate more native plants,  and conserve water by choosing plants that are drought tolerant.

But a recent article on the National Geographic website lists several benefits of veggie gardening  that go beyond these obvious ones.

Here are a few excerpts from the article, entitled How is Growing a Veggie Garden Eco-Friendly, by Fred Decker:

“Infiltration:   Rooftops, driveways, patios and lawns don't allow much water to infiltrate. However, the loose, crumbly soil of a well-worked garden absorbs water like a sponge, especially if it's well composted. This limits runoff, and maintains water quality.

Emissions -  Depending on the time of year and where you live, much of the produce you eat might have traveled thousands of miles to get to your local grocer. Every vegetable garden, and every homeowner growing vegetables instead of buying them, helps reduce [carbon emissions].

Urban Cooling - The high density of pavement and rooftops in urban areas can create "heat islands," places where the sun's energy becomes concentrated. This creates an increased demand for cooling and air conditioning, which is a drain on energy and the environment. …gardens  can  help provide cooling by reducing the number of unshaded heat-reflecting areas exposed to the sun.”

You can read the full text of the article by visiting the National Geographic Green Living website.