8 Tips for a Greener Garden

Here are Eight simple tips to help you create a greener and more sustainable garden.

1. Make a compost heap

Composting is one of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of waste in your household. Compost is made with green waste such as food waste within a household or in gardens, horticulture, and organic farming.

When compost is placed on top of existing soil or mixed into the existing soil, nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen are introduced to the soil. Plants then use these nutrients.

For more on composting, have a look at one of our previous articles: Composting for Beginners.

2. Organic Gardening

Let mother nature be your guide while gardening. Avoid chemical agents such as weed killers, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. Using fewer chemicals in your garden is more ecologically friendly and more cost-effective. If you are growing food to feed your household, gardening organically is even more important. Start from the ground up by building up the nutrients in your soil by using natural compost to amend the soil.

If the idea of growing an entire organic garden is a little too much to take one all at once, get your feet wet by trying organic gardening methods on a smaller scale such as a container garden. Or simply start by growing your own veggies from your green kitchen waste.

3. Grow your own food!

Purchasing organic foods can tend to be a little pricey. So why not grow your own? This may seem a little intimidating but with a little research and practice you will soon reap the vegetables of your labour.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

4. Water sustainably

While water is an essential part of maintaining a lush garden, using less water is an import part of gardening sustainably. Installing a rain collection system is a great way to conserve water and reduce your water bill.

Water your garden during the coolest times of the day when it is less likely to evaporate.

5. Reduce grassy lawns

Perfectly manicured lawns require a ton of resources. There a many sustainable landscaping options that can replace all if not some of your lawn. The result? Less maintenance, less water consumption, and less mowing.

Non-grass lawns are a beautiful alternative using ground cover plants, stones, pavers, wildflowers, and many other materials.

6. Use Sustainable Garden Furniture

Here at Creative living we pride ourselves on the quality of our furniture. Many of our available products are made from materials such as aluminum instead of plastic that will provide comfort for years to come. We even have a handful of solar lighting options available.

7. Plant native plants

Maintain your surrounding eco-system by selecting native plants for your garden. This in turn will invite local wildlife and insects who play a vital role in keeping your garden pollinated.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

8. Save your seeds

When your flowers and other plants go to seed at the end of the season, collect their dried seed heads or bulbs and store them in a dry place all winter. You can replant these seeds in your garden next spring. This way you will not have to purchase new seeds for seasons to come. 

Hopefully, you are feeling inspired enough to start your own Eco-gardening journey. For more on Self Sustainable Gardening, look at our featured article for more information.