The Gardening Guild of Catalonia views the current situation of drought with "great concern" which has forced them to apply restrictions on garden irrigation and regrets that the situation experienced in 2008 is repeated. Since then, the sector has done "its homework ”, claims the president of the entity, Miquel Marín, who maintains that they feel singled out again. “We are not being treated too well,” he laments.
According to Marín, in recent years, professionals have tended to make gardens "increasingly water efficient", thanks to the use of plants more adapted to the Mediterranean climate that require less water. “20 years ago, having rosemary or thyme was rare. Right now, everyone accepts aromatic plants in their home ”, he points out.
A plastic example of gardening adapted to the climate of the area is that of Mercè Trias and Jordi Piera, who founded Estudi de Jardineria in 1996, a gardening company "respectful of the environment and aesthetics of the Mediterranean". Among his projects are the gardens of the Eden Park hotel in Vilobí d'Onyar and the Hostal Spa Empúries, but more and more individuals are joining his philosophy to have gardens more adapted to the environment and to a recurring lack of water.
This philosophy has meant that, paradoxically, during this extremely dry year they have not stopped working. “We make a lot of recommendations for gardens because people see that they receive very high bills and that in summer the garden is not so beautiful”, explains Mercè. For this reason, he explains, they replace the grass with bushy and herbaceous plants and play with gravel, pergolas and trees to create shaded areas.
"We replace it with species that don't need as much water," Trias remarks. Although it is not one of their priorities, in those environments where it is more common to have grass, we postpone planting until autumn. “In fact, it's the best epic to plant,” he explains.
Kovent is a self-managed creative space that inhabits an old 19th century nunnery in Cal Rosal, in Berga. The interior and exterior spaces have been recovered over time, and gardening has also played an important role. His bet has also been for the trees and native plants of the environment.
The director of Konvent, Pep Espelt, explains that this not only prevents insect attacks, but also saves having to apply fertilizers and the result is a "more balanced" garden. Along these lines, the Konvent gardens are “minimal intervention” spaces. In fact, Espelt ensures that they dedicate between three and five hours a month. “We use zero water, we let the rain balance it out,” he adds.
In the line of rethinking the new models that should be established in relation to the use of water and gardening, Konvent has opened a call for gardeners, landscapers, urban planners or architects to do a residence for October. "We believe that it is now when we have to do the work of thinking and rethinking about the problem we have with water, so that in a while we do not have the need to worry if the water is there or not," he points out.
Espelt believes that a global change in the perception of how gardens should be is necessary. He criticizes that it comes from a tradition where plants "must always have flowers." "We must begin to learn that there is a summer garden, a winter garden, an autumn garden and a spring garden. The spring garden is green and abundant, but the summer garden must remain dry," she explains.
In line with the new landscaping models, more and more customers tend to use less grass. Lawns require much more water, and more and more people choose to dose it using a drip system instead of sprinklers. For the president of the Gardening Guild, Miquel Marín, the sector has done "its homework" and should not put itself in the same bag as others that have not taken action in the face of the current situation, which continues to be one of intense drought despite the rains of the last few days in some parts of the country.
Asked about permission for the tourism sector to be able to fill swimming pools despite the intense drought, Marín refuses to enter into "a war between sectors." "We all have jobs to keep," says Marín. "If every time there are droughts we have to fight, it's not the way, the way is to manage water well," he adds.
