A sustainable garden makes use of the existing design to utilise the existing ecosystem to create a space you can enjoy, tend to, and perhaps use to grow a selection of different plants, even edible ones. While a professional gardener can provide plenty of advice on how to achieve your sustainable garden goals, you can get off to a healthy start on your own. The key to sustainable gardening is lowering your carbon consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by contributing the right balance of biodiversity to support native plant species and local wildlife.
So, before you call in the professionals to handle your lawn care, take heart in these sustainable gardening ideas.
From Lawn Mowing to Companion Planting: Sustainable Garden Ideas
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Go Green: Collect Rainwater, Natural Pest Control, and Improve Soil Health
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Organic is the best way to start your green journey and while many people are happy to embrace chemicals to stave off pests, it can have a negative impact on your overall garden and soil health. If you truly want to reduce your carbon footprint, look for organic products.
A water butt is an easy way to collect rainwater and it's easy enough to find a slimline unit to store in the corner of your garden so it doesn't inhibit appearance. By using your natural resources wisely, you can nurture a more sustainable garden.
Green Waste: Mulching & Composting
Mulch is the key to a healthy garden and all it is is a substance you can place over the surface of the soil. Gardeners add mulch to garden beds to suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, keep the soil cool, and make it look more attractive. You can purchase organic mulch and create your own. Most people make their own with grass clippings, leaves, shredded bark, and certain items of food waste.
If you want to create a sustainable garden, you need to familiarise yourself with mulching because it's an absolute must! Plus, it will leave you with much less weeding to do, which every gardener knows is the worst part of the process.
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You may want to consider creating a compost bin. While mulch is a useful top soil for maintaining appearance, compost can improve soil health.
Native Plants Attract Pollinators
Plant selection is about more than appearance and if you want to create a sustainable garden, the more native plants you choose the better off you'll be. It's important to the pollinators and it's a great way to ensure your plants thrive. The beauty of choosing native varieties is that they require less work and deliver more because they're in the right soil, with the right rainfall and climate to suit their needs. Because they're native, they're also more suitable for birds and insects looking for shelter and food.
Rock Features
Rocks can be an incredibly useful aesthetic tool in any garden, but they're particularly important for sustainable gardens. They do a lot more than serve looks, you can strategically position rocks of all sizes throughout your garden to guide water to specific plants or highlight different areas. Additionally, you can utilise your rock gardens to enhance your lighting. Avid gardeners create fish ponds and waterfalls in their backyard.
Additionally, you can intersperse rocks with grass or flower beds to reduce the amount of space that requires water to thrive. Plus, nothing creates suspense like a good focal point and rock formations are a great way to do that in gardens of any size.
Watering
The best sustainable garden is one that requires little water and this is particularly true for Australians who live in drought zones. If you're in a harsh climate, opt for plants that thrive no matter how much attention they get. Look for flowers that require little to no maintenance, plant a drought-resistant lawn like Bermuda or Buffalo grass, and shrubs that attract the birds and the bees. A water butt is a must to harness rainwater, but you can also redistribute household water to utilise in your garden where necessary.
While you can hire garden maintenance services to handle lawn mowing, smart landscaping is a must to benefit nature with your sustainable garden.
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Companion Planting
Companion planting is nature's way of addressing gardening needs by ensuring plants support each other's resources. This planting method is greatly beneficial for a thriving vegetable patch. For example, cucumbers and basil make excellent bedfellows, while carrots and radishes, marigolds and roses, corn and beans, and tomatoes and lettuce all serve each other.
Plant a Garden You Can Eat
What better way to create a sustainable garden than by planting things you can eat? Whether you have visions of a fruit tree or a vegetable garden, the key to provide food is to plant what grows well in your locale in the correct season. Plus, it benefits you in every way as a cheaper way to feed your family.
If it's a bit much for you to handle, you can speak to a local gardener or landscaper for ideas. The easiest place for beginners to start is with a simple herb garden, but potatoes usually take off pretty quickly as well.
Perennials
You've looked at recycled materials, you've thought about how to use water wisely, and you've made an effort to balance low-maintenance ornamental plants with crops that yield food. You're off to a great sustainable gardening start! Planting perennials is also a great way to make your garden more sustainable. As long as they thrive in your climate, your perennials will go from strength to strength each spring and they may not flower throughout winter, but they'll still look healthy enough to maintain appearances.
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