Create a more sustainable garden for your home
Are you considering how you can be more sustainable? While having a garden is a great first step towards embracing greener living, it’s possible to make your outdoor space especially eco-friendly.
If you’d like to know how to make a difference to the environment, here are some tips to help you use your garden to do it.
Why make your garden more sustainable?
Taking the time to transform your garden into a sustainable space can help the planet and can also build a thriving ecosystem right on your doorstep.
Introducing sustainable gardening practices means you can reduce the environmental impact, so you’re cutting down on your carbon footprint – something that’s at the forefront right now. The UK government wants the country to be carbon net zero by 2050, so by taking the time to focus on your approach to your garden, you could contribute towards bringing the figures down.
As well as getting everyone closer to net zero, this type of gardening can conserve resources and support biodiversity, encouraging wildlife into the nation’s green spaces.
The UK's gardens cover a combined landmass that's bigger than the Lake District and Peak District put together. So, if everyone adopted greener gardening, there’s huge potential there to make a real difference.
Want to know how to do it? Here are some tips:
- Plant successional blooms
Planting successional blooms is a simple yet effective way to promote biodiversity. Having different plants flowering at various times throughout the year means there is a continuous supply of nectar and pollen.
This attracts a diverse range of pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and other essential insects play a key role in pollination, supporting the reproduction of plants and the overall health of your garden. By providing a variety of blooming plants, you can maintain a steady stream of these crucial pollinators throughout the seasons.
One way to plan your growing and planting in a way that ensures your plants flower at different times is by investing in protective measures such as a polytunnel with a robust cover. These are ideal spaces where your plants are shieled from the elements until they’re ready to be moved outside. You can use this space to carefully organise your plants in a way that allows for accurate blooming times.
- Use protective nets
As well as polytunnels, consider using protective nets. These nets act as a physical barrier, safeguarding your crops from caterpillars and other leaf-munching wildlife without the need for chemical pesticides that can harm pollinator insects and interrupt the natural balance of your garden.
This is an eco-friendly approach that protects your plants while allowing beneficial insects to thrive.
- Grow your own
Growing your own fruit and veg is one of the most sustainable uses for your garden. It means you reduce the carbon footprint that comes with supermarket shopping, plus you can create tasty meals with the satisfaction of knowing you oversaw the growing of the ingredients.
Deborah Wood, Marketing Director at Premier Polytunnels, says: “If you’re looking for ways to limit your impact on the environment and lead a more self-sufficient lifestyle, then a sustainable garden is a great place to start. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs not only reduces your yearly food bill and puts you in control of how much pesticide is used, it also allows you to feed your family healthy, delicious meals straight from your garden.
“Sustainable gardening is food for the soul too – spending time outside can take you away from daily stresses and help you express your creativity, and it’s also a great form of exercise!”
- Make compost
By recycling kitchen and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost, you can reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and add beneficial nutrients to your soil. In addition, there are carbon savings. This is because it reduces transport and industrial processing that usually comes with getting rid of everyday waste.
- Plant a tree
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. So, by planting a tree in your garden, you contribute to reducing carbon emissions and help combat climate change.
Trees also offer shade and a home for wildlife. Choose a native tree that will support local ecosystems.
- Make homes for wildlife
Birdhouses, bee hotels, and butterfly shelters are all ideal additions that can help encourage useful insects and creatures in your garden. By inviting wildlife into your garden, you establish a natural balance.
Will you introduce sustainable gardening in your outdoor space this year?