Go Green: How To Create an Eco-friendly Garden
There’s a common misconception that conventional gardening is inherently eco-friendly because it’s not much more than simply working with soil and plants. Therefore, many people might think that there’s nothing left to improve in this regard.
Nevertheless, even if your garden already seems to be quite perfect, there’s always room for improvement. For instance, you can choose to go with the latest trends and, besides staying on top of what’s in garden “fashion,” do something good for the Earth by being more environmentally friendly.
It can be something as small yet meaningful as learning which plants enjoy growing next to each other or something more significant, like making an effort to balance out your landscaping by using what you already have instead of buying new items. If you’re curious to learn more, read this and use it as a brief guide to some of the sustainable gardening ideas you can try to help the plant become a favorite among the local wildlife.
Learn Your Allies
Taking the time to learn which plants do well when growing next to each other could work to your advantage. In fact, if you know all the animosities that affect how things grow in your garden, it will save you a lot of nerves and frustration along the way.
It’s really not that different from taking proper care of the rest of your house. Just think that when you need some repairs, whether it’s in your garage or on your patio, your best bet is to contact professionals such as those from garagedoornation.com and let them put their knowledge to good use.
When it comes to your garden, you can contact a professional gardener and ask them for advice, pick up a book, or visit a website dedicated to gardening.
Here are some examples:
- Corn will enjoy growing next to cucumbers, squash, peas, beans, and pumpkins, but it
doesn’t do well next to tomatoes. - When growing close to tomatoes, dill and basil act as natural protectants and help keep away the destructive hornworm.
- Basil growing side-by-side with the tomatoes makes them taste better.
- Nasturtiums help protect other plants from aphids.
Recycle and Reuse Materials
There’s no doubt that using recycled materials is an excellent way to be more green. That’s
why, the next time you’re planning which materials to use while arranging the most beautiful garden, don’t forget to be mindful.
It might be hard at first, especially if you’re used to tossing the old and replacing it with the new, but try to resist the urge of going straight to your local home improvement and gardening retailer every time you want to add something to your garden. Instead, use what you already have.
Got some wood pieces laying around that would look great if sanded and stained a natural
color? There goes your own flower bed! An old wheelbarrow has been rusting in your shed for way too long? Sand it, paint it a trendy color, and use it as a planter! Need a new bench? What about those crates and wooden boxes you haven’t touched in a while? Again, all they need is some sanding, a little bit of paint or stain, and a few nails to keep everything together.
Rather than replace that old garden furniture that had seen better days, try to opt for a new layer of paint and do some repairs. If you decide to go for that shabby-chic look, you won’t even have to worry about making everything perfect. Why buy new when you can use what you already have and save some money while you’re at it!
Learn How to Deal With Unwanted Visitors
In every gardener’s life, there comes a time when you have to deal with the type of guests who don’t give heads-up before they visit you. Furthermore, they can simply show up in your prettiest flowers one day and cause serious damage.
The obvious and, unfortunately, most common way of dealing with them is by using pesticides, but harsh chemicals are rarely a good choice, and there’s simply no place for them in your eco-friendly garden.
What’s a safe and natural solution to the problem, then? Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and it all depends on what kind of an intruder you’re dealing with. Try planting plants with fuzzy and fragrant leaves like verbena or boxwood if it’s deer. The strong scent should keep them away.
Got some rabbits digging holes and munching on your veggies? Hot peppers, spicy basil, mint, and garlic are the way to go. Protecting individual plants with physical barriers like picket fences or chicken wire should also do the trick.
If it’s insects that you’re trying to fight an uneven battle with, you might need to resort to using organic pesticides. However, keep in mind that just because the packaging says “organic,” it doesn’t mean that it does no harm at all.
Celebrate the Natives
Don’t get shy when appreciating what’s already in your area. Instead of getting frustrated when trying to figure out how to grow exotic seeds you got online, take a good look around and invite the native plants to your garden.
While some of them might not look as impressive as a sequoia tree growing in the middle of your lawn, they’re much easier to sustain because they’re already used to the climate, soil, and even the rainfall in your region.
If you tend to get a bit lazy from time to time, you’ll be happy to hear that they also require much less effort than rare flowers or exotic plants. If you’re not sure where to start, try asking your local gardening experts for some tips.
Final Word
When trying to create an eco-friendly garden, you don’t need to turn everything upside down. Of course, no one will stop you if you decide to make big changes and rearrange the whole space, but sustainability can be celebrated in many other ways. It’s also important to remember that there’s no need to rush, and you don’t need to introduce all of the changes overnight.
As long as you’re doing something to be more environmentally friendly, you’re moving in the right direction. Whether you decide to learn more about plants that enjoy growing side-by-side, start recycling and reusing the materials you already have instead of buying new ones, focus on the native plants, or learn how to deal with pests naturally, keep in mind that it’s a learning process. Even if you make mistakes, you can always try again and do better.
