Many people are getting busy in their gardens at this time of year, which often entails a trip to a garden centre to buy potting compost. Traditionally, peat moss was favoured. However, peat is an exceptional carbon sink and is best left untouched in the bogs. A ban on its use is being introduced to Ireland, but some peat moss for nurseries is being imported from other countries in Europe. This does nothing to help our carbon neutrality. It is important to buy peat-free compost alternatives. For those with a large garden, excellent potting compost can be made from decomposed leaves, raked up in the autumn. Garden compost made from vegetable scraps, lawn clippings, weeds etc. is ideal to feed soil for both vegetables and fruit bushes, and indeed for flowers. As the world’s carbon emissions soar once again, following a dip in the earlier months of the pandemic, we need to examine ways to reduce our carbon footprint. This can be achieved by modifying our everyday actions, including not buying peat. If we use our own compost, we save a trip to the garden centre and buying a product wrapped in plastic. Every positive step we take helps.