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Most people are aware that “greening” and trying to reduce our impact on the environment has many benefits, but there are still some misconceptions about what exactly environmentally friendly gardening means. Does it require more work and cost than regular gardening? Will you have to ditch your favorite flowers or watch helplessly as snails and aphids invade your vegetable patch? The answer to all these questions is: No!
An ecological garden is simply one where the gardener works with nature rather than constantly struggling with it. Creating and maintaining an eco-friendly garden is simple if you take a look at how your gardening activities affect both your little piece of the planet and the wider environment, and you always choose the least harmful option.
Make it a chemical-free zone
Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides contain chemicals that can damage plants, wildlife, and people, especially if used in the wrong place or at the wrong time, or they can accumulate in the soil. Manufacturing and transporting these products also consumes valuable energy and natural resources and causes pollution.
Follow nature’s example and move on to creating your own free organic compost by recycling plant waste in a compost bin or in a worm. Fight pests by encouraging their natural predators to enter your garden. Remember that weeds are just wild plants that grow where you don’t want them. Crowd them by covering the bare soil with the plants you want and make weeding easier by removing them before they are sown and spread. Find out which weeds are edible – as long as they haven’t been sprayed with poison – and enjoy them in your salad!
Use your water wisely
All plants need water, and although chlorinated tap water is acceptable, rainwater is usually preferred. It is also the cheapest option if your water supply is per meter. Install water barrels to collect and store free water provided by nature. You can also save time and water by only watering the plants that really need it and using homemade mulch to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.
Adding a pond to your garden will attract a fascinating variety of wildlife including birds, hedgehogs, frogs, and toads that will do well to keep snails, snails and insect pests in check. It doesn’t have to be very large, but make sure it is easily accessible to visitors with gentle slopes leading to shallow water.
Choose an eco-friendly design
Whether you are creating a new garden or want to maintain your existing garden in a more environmentally friendly way, you should start by looking at the overall plan of your garden. Think about how you want to use your garden and how different areas can work together. Wherever possible, use local recycled materials for tough landscaping features such as paths and raised beds. Make sure that the new wood brought to fences, patios and garden seats comes from sustainable forests.
Check the soil type and notice which parts of the garden are the wettest or driest, which side gets the most sun, or if one corner is constantly shaded. You can save yourself labor and get better results by adjusting the plants you want to grow to your preferred conditions. Add nectar-rich flowers that attract beneficial insects, and trees, shrubs, or vines that produce winter berries and shelter birds.
If you are new to ecological gardening, ask a professional landscaping gardener for advice and a free consultation. He or she will also be able to help you with any work, such as creating a wild pond, that may be difficult to do on your own.
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Source by David G Smith