How to Make Your Garden Eco Friendly
Some might think a garden is already eco-friendly, so how can one ensure their garden is? Picking the right plants for your zone and climate is a big help, as well as reducing the amount of lawn you have, watering less, and using organic materials. Drought tolerant plants will take less water to keep them thriving while still making your yard beautiful. Switching lawns to native meadows or decorative rock with a small garden to accentuate the overall look is becoming a more popular alternative. There are lots of changes that can be made to make your garden eco-friendly that will still allow you to enjoy spending time outside in your yard and garden.
All Things Water Related!
The biggest struggle most of the world is facing is climates becoming hotter and less rainfall. This does change year to year and we still get some years wetter than others, like this spring/early summer in western Canada, but our summers are typically getting hotter for longer stretches, going into droughts. It’s hard to keep our yards green around watering restrictions, or for those on well systems, water can be very precious. Native plants that are chosen for the area you live in help tremendously. Their root systems are deeper than non-native plants, which are able to pull water from farther into the ground. Non-native plant roots are more shallow and require more frequent watering as the top layer of dirt dries out the fastest. Using mulch and compost in your gardens also helps water retention, making the most out of watering. If you have the ability, collecting rainwater from your roof using downspouts and water chains can offer another source of water for plants. Lots of people typically use a barrel to store the water that runs through downspouts, but there are also bigger collection systems depending on your needs. Make sure barrels are covered or screened to prevent mosquitos from breeding in the standing water and keep them only ¾ full in winter months to accommodate freezing. A bonus for rainwater, it is free of chlorine or other treatments that are usually found in tap water.
Go Organic
Going organic will avoid chemicals and pesticides being used in your yard and improve soil health. Using pesticides in your garden can add chemicals to the food that you are growing, or in the areas with which you are in close contact, along with destroying the beneficial ecosystem in the soil to grow strong, healthy plants. Fertilizers can still be used to help boost your plant's health, there are many organic options to choose from. Making sure to choose organic seeds means they were harvested from plants that pesticides were not used on, as well as organic plants that you choose for your garden. Making your own compost to use in your garden will help boost the soil health following the Soil Food Web that makes up the ecosystem that is so beneficial. Rotating crops in food gardens will help prevent plant disease from building up since not all crops are affected by the same plant disease. Attracting pollinators to your garden will help plants bloom and grow. There are lots of plants that will attract bees and hummingbirds, and consider adding in an insect hotel that will give the beneficial bugs in your yard a place to hibernate, or just a safe space to live.
Rethink Your Yard Style
Lawns are one of the biggest areas for water usage, and most give up on watering altogether in the hottest part of summer, leaving people with dry, brown grass. Most families use the backyard for hanging out and playing in, while the front yard is not used as much. Consider switching away from a traditional lawn to a native meadow or xeriscape. There are so many designs to choose from when you start looking into ideas on what will still look nice. You can still have plants that will grow beautifully with minimal water usage for upkeep by choosing native plants and installing irrigation to water only the areas needed without wasting water on areas with no plants. Growing edible gardens is another option as the more food you grow yourself, the less you need to be buying, as well as insuring it is organic. Mulch can be used in the gardens for water retention, keeping your plants hydrated while using less water. Adding trees will create more shade to your yard, allowing your yard not to be in the full sun constantly. If you are thinking of taking the step to remove your lawn in favor of an alternative, contact us and we can come up with a design that works for you and the vision you have for your yard.