You might have a healthy, green lawn and a variety of plans in your garden, but this does not make it ‘green’ in the truest sense. Many gardens use chemical pesticides and insecticides that harm the environment and fail to attract vital wildlife, such as insects and birds. However, there are simple steps you can take to make your garden environmentally friendly.
Grow Your Own
Why not try growing your own vegetables? Even if you have a small garden this is good option for those who want to go green. You can use pots and planters if space is an issue, and the food you grow won’t rack up any air miles. There are lots of vegetables that are relatively expensive to buy in the shops and taste better when eaten fresh, so give it a go.
Ditch Chemicals
Pesticides are harmful to insects, animals, aquatic life and humans. Once you’ve used a weed killer it will enter the water table and won’t disappear for years. Pulling out weeds by hand may take longer but it is much better for the environment. To deter slugs and snails you can try making barriers of grit or crushed eggshells around plants. If you must use slug pellets, choose those that are not harmful to children or wildlife.
Start Composting
Composting is basically putting back into the garden what you take out when you cut flowers and pull weeds or harvest vegetables. You can cheaply buy or build a compost bin for the garden and fill it with raw kitchen waste and old newspapers. Make sure you keep a balance between brown and green waste; brown waste includes cardboard and leaves and green waste is old vegetables. If you do this correctly, your compost heap won’t smell or attract vermin and will provide rich new compost to benefit flowers and vegetables. Compost makes a great mulching material and holds much-needed moisture around the roots of plants.
Don’t Be Too Tidy
By keeping every corner of your garden pristine, you can deprive insects of their habitats. Insects are vital to the health of a green garden and it’s a good idea to attract pollinating varieties like bumble bees. Ladybirds and lacewings are important for eating crop-destroying aphids and blackfly. If you are serious about attracting wildlife, why not install a pond? It’s easy to do and provides an important wetland habitat for many species of birds, insects and amphibians.
Green Wood Choices
If you’re considering having a fence put in or buying wooden garden furniture, it’s worth looking for sustainable wood choices. Try reclaimed hardwood sleepers like those from Milford Fencing & Paving. This way you can be sure that no new trees have been cut down to provide for your green garden.
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