Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Essentials for a Greener Garden
Every day, people are finding new ways to be sustainable and look after the world they live in. If you’re not sure how to help, you can make a difference right from your own garden!
The Importance of Sustainability and Being Eco-Friendly
A definition of sustainability which is often quoted time and time again, is from The Brundtland Report. It states: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines eco-friendly as simply “not harmful to the environment”. We need to protect the world for future generations and to help the environment flourish!
What Can I Do to My Garden?
If you have no idea where to start, don’t worry! Here are some features you can add to your garden to give it an eco-friendly touch.
Solar-Controlled Lights
Using solar panel lighting is a green alternative to using electricity, and it can save you money as well. These lights charge throughout the day by using light from the sun and automatically turn on at night. They also come in a variety of forms which all have different effects on your garden. String lights make your outside area look magical, path lights brighten walkways at night, and floodlighting can be used for security.
Composite Decking
This type of decking is made from a combination of recycled wood and plastic. You can use composite decking in your garden in many ways such as for walkways, your patio and pool deck flooring. Composite decking is a sustainable choice (1).
Pretty Water Features
As well as solar-controlled lights, you can get solar-controlled water features too (2). Water features are a great way to attract wildlife like birds, bees, frogs and dragonflies. If you have a pond, installing native plants is a great way to be eco-friendly as well. Plants that are native to your country provide a great food source for anything living in the water which has evolved to depend on it.
Bamboo Features
Bamboo is a fast-growing type of grass which is strong and looks beautiful in any garden it’s put in. It can be harvested regularly without having to worry about the source running out, making it a great sustainable option. Bamboo can be used in a number of ways like supporting plants and for fencing. You can buy features made of bamboo, like a birdhouse which can look pretty in your garden and attract new birds.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
There are many reasons (3) to grow your own food! First of all, it can become a fun hobby and help you widen your gardening skills. It’s a great way to get fresh air and get active in the sunshine! It also helps you reduce your carbon footprint that comes from packaging and transporting vegetables bought from the supermarket. You’re also less likely to waste your food because you worked hard to grow it.
Compost Bins to Make Soil
You can add organic waste materials from your garden to your compost bin, like leaves, flowers and branches. You can also use leftover vegetable and fruit peels from your kitchen. Over time, a compost bin will naturally speed up the decomposition process to make compost which is rich and nutritious. This can then be used for your plants so they can grow to be healthy.
Permeable Paving to Manage Rainwater
This type of paving allows water to soak through it slowly into the soil below. This has many benefits like reducing flooding and replenishing groundwater levels. When rainwater flows into drains, this can be a waste, but permeable paving (4) means it can be reused.
Plants and shrubs
Adding pollinator-friendly plants to your garden helps support local wildlife and biodiversity. Some excellent choices include:
- Lavender – attracts bees and butterflies with its fragrant purple flowers.
- Sunflowers – great for bees. (5), and their seeds provide food for birds.
- Holly – produces berries that birds love and offers shelter.
- Wildflowers – a mix of native wildflowers can create a haven for all pollinators.
Hopefully, you now have some great ideas of how to make your garden more sustainable. Spring is coming soon, which is the perfect time to start working on your garden for the summertime.
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