■ CLASSIC and historic vehicles

Do your bit for the planet by making a few simple changes

can still be ‘green’ and must embrace the challenge of the environmental agenda, says the new head of the campaign group recently set up to promote their future.

Garry Wilson, who becomes the first chief executive of the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance, said: ‘I think we need to embrace the environmental challenge and work with legislators to identify solutions, while demonstrating clearly the environmental credentials of the classic movement.’

The classic and heritage sector contributes an estimated £18.3billion to the economy and £3billion tax to the Treasury.

Garry started as a Rover apprentice in the 1980s and worked his way up, recently helping establish the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre and Advanced Propulsion Centre, based at Warwick University, to boost UK-based green projects.

THE began the autumnal new this week, gardening equinox. along with year So with the climate crisis in mind, let’s make this the year to make a real difference. As gardeners we must make profound changes. For a start, we should look to our soils. By steadily boosting their levels of organic matter or humus, we can lock down more carbon. That will boost numbers of beneficial soil microbes, helping plant-growth.

pasture Well-farmed can store meadows more carbon and than they release. Garden lawns and permanent ground-cover could also store carbon. But not if that grass is frequently closemown, with the cuttings always removed and discarded.

In beds, carbon levels can go either way. If cleared and replanted with bedding twice yearly, carbon is not stored. Applying artificial fertilisers makes that worse.

FOR PEAT’S SAKE

BUT with modest changes, gardens can be carbon-neutral and attractive all year. I believe we can go a step further.

We can lock down significant quantities of carbon without compromising beauty, productivity or wildlife.

A simple first step is to go peat-free. Damaged peatland releases greenhouse gases, as do peat-based composts.

When I converted to peat-free compost last year, it felt horrible to handle. It also drained too rapidly. But you soon learn to manage and, surprisingly, so do the plants. Our summer containers looked lovely.

There are carbon-friendly alternatives to bedding, too. At the 2012 London Olympics, 7,000 sq m were carpeted with annual flower ‘meadows’. The direct-sown seeds produced multi-coloured carpets, abuzz with nectar-hungry insects.

Flower ‘meadows’ like those can be any size. They’re grown entirely from seed direct-sown now, with more added in April.

That gives a charming, longlasting show. If the plants are left to seed, the show repeats for several years.

Plants for annual flower meadows include wild poppies, corn marigolds, Californian poppies, calendulas and toadflaxes for hot colours. Cooler hues come from larkspurs, flax, nigellas, cornflowers, borage and Salvia horminum. So you can choose your colours.

Even on a tiny scale, you could try that instead of summer bedding. Sow the seeds randomly into a good tilth in a sunny spot. They won’t need fertiliser but rake the soil gently to cover the seeds. Expect bees and butterflies to love your display next summer.

NATURAL LAWNS

LAWNS can capture surprising amounts of carbon. But they have to be managed for that and sadly most are not.

Fine lawns are also key features in gardens and have been for centuries. I couldn’t bear to part with mine, but don’t have to. By never feeding, and by mowing without the grass box, my lawns have been self-sustaining for years.

After mowing, grass fragments on the lawn wilt and shrink. Overnight, many are pulled into the ground by earthworms. Humus levels are thus boosted and carbon is stored after every mow.

That breaks the costly cycle of weeding, feeding, close-cutting and dumping the grass. If daisies or speedwells flower in our lawns, I consider those a bonus and so do the bees.

In rougher grass, you can plant or seed wildflowers. So please, let’s all lock more carbon down this year.