Creating a sustainable and eco-friendly garden is a fantastic way to make your outdoor space more in keeping with our modern, environmentally conscious sensibilities. We are all rightfully considering what more we can do to do our bit for the preservation of the planet, and implementing small, everyday changes can make a massive difference to your carbon footprint. In this article, we will outline the best ways of creating a sustainable garden. Let’s take a look…
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Start Small
If you are a beginner at growing plants, it may be a good idea to start working on a smaller plot to get you more accustomed to the tricks and subtleties you need to learn to cultivate a successful garden. Research what plants can be grown together and the times of year you can grow certain flowers.
Whilst a margin of error is inescapable for a brand-new hobby, doing your due diligence can help you to limit the amount of waste created when starting a new garden.
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Rewilding
The idea of a neat, perfectly kept lawn is actually a few centuries old, and does not gel with our current knowledge about the environment. One of the best ways to make your garden a more sustainable space is to let your grass grow longer. The longer grass is, the more plants will have a chance to grow, increasing the biodiversity to your space. A more natural, less pristine garden will encourage more wildlife to visit.
Longer grass especially encourages bees. Bees are essential for the environment, as they pollinate plants, which create more oxygen. By sowing clover seeds into your soil if growing a new lawn, you can help attract more bees into your space.
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Composting
Reduce your food waste by creating fertiliser in a compost bin. This way, any garden trimmings or fruit and vegetable scraps from your kitchen can be added to the pile and repurposed. Using what may have simply gone to a landfill to instead grow more produce is one of the most sustainable things you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Whilst increasing your biodiversity is the desired effect for your garden space, keeping your compost bin on top of gravel can prevent any visitations from nature’s more unwanted additions, such as rats or mice.
Sustainable Materials
When preparing your garden space, it is important to consider materials that are eco-conscious. If you want an outdoor space for garden furniture, there are many options available, including patio slabs, brick paving, bark, timber, and composite decking.
It is up to you to decide which material is the most appropriate for both your ecological and aesthetic needs. Thankfully, more and more suppliers are making more green products. For example, composite materials made from a mixture of timber fibres and recycled plastic will last far longer and will not need to be replaced or preserved with harmful chemicals.
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Upcycling
Most gardens benefit from a carefully considered selection of garden furniture, but it is not necessary to break the bank to have your own seating theme. Carefully scouring charity or thrift shops for old furniture to repurpose can be an incredibly cheap solution. Alternatively, you can simply reuse and repaint old indoor furniture from your own home that no longer fits the internal theme. If you are particularly creative and inventive, you may not even need to buy furniture, and may instead want to opt to make your own. Wooden pallets can be easily nailed together to make wide, comfortable garden sofas. All they need is to be sealed to protect them from weathering, or to be kept under a permanent shelter. Add signage or place some cushions on top of your palette chairs and a rug between them, and suddenly you have a stylish garden addition to your garden made from something many people would simply waste.