{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/climate-action-leicester-and-leicestershire",
"title": "Greener Gardens pledge",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/forms/photos/000/709/116/normal/3gardens_image.jpg",
"description": "Front gardens can be climate, nature and people friendly. To do this, they need large living plants (perennials, trees, hedges, shrubs). They also need to absorb rainwater rather than tipping it into the street (this requires thought about both paving materials and tilt). Will you commit to - and then actually do - one specific thing to make your garden more climate friendly in the next 12 months? And we'll come back to you in a year to hear how it went. As our front gardens get paved over, our streets become hotter and more prone to flooding, as well as making it harder for nature to survive, but there are loads of things we can do to reverse this trend. You could: Plant a climbing vine up one of your walls or fences. Replace a fence or wall with a hedge. Plant a deciduous tree in your garden. Make a pocket for nature of shrubs and perennials somewhere that was previously just grass or paved. Take up a section of paving/concrete and put in a growing area. Take up a section of paving/concrete and put in gravel. You could even grow low level plants through the gravel. Change the tilt of the ground/paving in your garden so that rainwater runs towards growing areas and not towards the street (or the house). Trees, shrubs and hedges don't only absorb rain water which reduces flooding. They also moderate both high and low temperatures, while providing support for nature (which is under pressure from both climate change and pollution and the use of herbicides and pesticide). And there is loads of research now showing that both growing trees, flowers and birdsong improve people's mental health. See our webpage here for more specific benefits, things you could do, and things it is worth bearing in mind.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/forms/greener-gardens-pledge"
}