Every gardener has an important role in helping to reduce the ever-rising pressures on our ecosystem. You may spend time caring for your garden to make it look beautiful, but gardening can help to slow down climate change, cut energy use and reduce waste. Transforming your garden into an eco-friendly space is actually a lot easier and affordable than you may think. There are many ways you can easily create a beautiful garden, that not only cuts down on waste but also utilizes renewable energy too. Above all, your local wildlife will greatly benefit from the different habitats you provide for them right there on your doorstep. Whatever size garden you have, with just a little time and effort, you can create your very own eco-friendly haven.
Welcome Insects to Your Garden
To create an eco-friendly and wildlife friendly garden, you need to approach gardening in a different way. Instead of focusing on keeping everything very neat and tidy, you need to think about the wildlife that may come and use your garden and what would be helpful for them. This means that sometimes it is best to leave your mower in the shed and instead allow your grass and even some weeds to grow. Long grass is one of the rarest garden habitats and by letting at least some of your lawn grow, you will make space for many insect and plant species, such as wildflowers and butterflies. Likewise, instead of tidying up old twigs, rotting wood and rocks, leave piles of them dotted around your garden. These can become shelters for a variety of insects like spiders and beetles.
Keeping Your Home and Garden Cool
While it’s recommended that you create a cool, shaded part of your garden so you and your family can escape the sun when it’s at its hottest, it can also reduce your energy use and support the environment. Even bees appreciate a shade garden. When your house is in full sun for the majority of the day, it will absorb the heat and then release it during the evening, making your home feel extremely hot. But while air conditioning units may have once been your next step, remember that they are not just expensive to run, they are not good for the environment. Marygrove.com, therefore recommends an awning which can protect your home from the sun by shading your windows and walls during the day which will help reduce the cost of cooling your home by up to 40 percent.
Opt for Green Materials
To create an eco-friendly garden, you need to go back to nature when it comes to the materials you bring into the garden. For something like walkways and patios, you can choose natural stone, permeable concrete pavers and even brick. Paving stones and bricks made from rubber and recycled plastic are available in a range of shapes, colors, and textures and help stop waste going to landfill. The key to becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly in the garden is by ensuring everything has a practical use and nothing gets wasted. If you do have to buy something new, then sure it’s made from recycled, green materials and ideally has multiple uses.
Regardless of the size of the garden, every gardener can play a pivotal role in helping the environment by creating an eco-friendly garden. From encouraging insects and wildlife into your garden, using recycled and green materials to creating shade areas that help keep your house cool and lower energy use. Becoming an environmentally friendly gardener is simple to do and immensely satisfying.