Nine Effective Green Week Eco-Friendly Gardening Ideas

Eco-friendly gardening helps maintain the environment and should be an important goal for everyone who gardens, regardless of whether your garden is large or small. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen which is important to the renewal of the air we breathe. Plants provide food for wildlife and support healthy soil.

If you have never been involved in eco-friendly gardening

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, now is the time to begin. It is not difficult to convert your garden into an eco-friendly paradise which attracts wildlife and support the environment. If you are just starting a garden, start off on the ecologically sound basis provided by the tips below.

Garden with Native Plants: Too often gardeners want to grow plants that are not native to their locale and this introduces plants which can spread and drive out indigenous plants which are important to the balance of nature. Just because you elect to use native plants in your garden does not mean your garden must look wild or ragged. You can create some very attractive landscapes using nothing but plants that are native to your area. Another benefit of using local plants is that they cost less than imported varieties.

Stop Using Poisonous Sprays: Often people want to kill every insect that lives in their garden. The problem with this is that birds, butterflies, even animals can also be killed or experience problems as a result. There are many insects and creatures that are beneficial to the garden such as lady bugs, earthworms and [gardening techniques] which discourage insect infestations. Natural pesticides created from garlic or peppers can be used without harming nature to discourage infestations that do occur. Generally, however, healthy plants can withstand minor insect attacks, so focus on keeping the garden healthy rather than using detrimental sprays.

Take a Plant Survey: Contact your local plant society or county cooperative agent and have them walk through your properly. They can point out plants you should maintain as well as those which are not native to your area and should be removed. Non-native plants can drive out native plants and damage the environment. An example is the melaleuca tree which was introduced to Florida and today poses a real threat to the environment of the Everglades and other areas.

Protect Plants When Building or Clearing Garden Areas: Fence area off which need to be protected when you are building a structure such as a fence, stone wall, potting shed, or workshop. When clearing garden areas for planting, protect native plants. You can easily mark the plants to protect by using a color coded system of three colors of ribbon: one color for definitely remove, one color for save if possible, and one color for rare plants that must be saved. Then you can either transplant or work around the native plants.

Collect Water in a Rain Barrel: Place large plastic or metal drums along the eaves of building or in the yard to collect rain water for watering your potted plants and garden plants. The rain water contains no additives such as chlorine or fluoride and cost absolutely nothing, which reduces your watering bill. You can even transfer the water into seepage irrigation drums placed in strategic areas of the garden. Obtain the containers for collecting rain water by recycling materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Companies which empty drums of various types that held non-toxic, safe contents can be obtained easily and often at no cost whatsoever. Simply wash the barrels out with clear water to remove any residue or debris.

Create a Compost Pile: Compost retains moisture in your soil and reduces weed growth. It provides insulation for your garden and valuable nutrients. It also reduces the amount of garbage you send to the landfill by as much as 40%. All organic matter such as glass clippings, certain foods, and other natural material can be included in the compost pile. You can also compost in a container is you are worried about odor. You can fine detailed instruction for composting effectively online.

Create a Garden that Conserves Water: Water conservation is important because the water tables in many areas are becoming lower and lower. This results in sink holes and eventually may result in a worldwide water shortage. Design your garden so that it uses water efficiently. In the case of a sloped garden, place water-intensive plants near the front and those that require less water at the rear. Then water from the rear, allowing water to run downhill. Place a thick layer of compost or mulch over your garden to reduce evaporation of water. Only provide water in dry periods and then use as much collected rainwater as possible.

Use a Manual Lawnmower: Electric or gas lawnmowers use resources that not only cost you money in utility bills but are non-renewable for the most part. Manual lawnmowers are only a bit harder to use than powered mowers and the exercise is good for you. If you keep the lawn well maintained by mowing weekly during spring and summer, the grass will be easy to use. You can either bag the grass for inclusion in your compost or allow the grass to work its way into the soil and provide nutrients for your lawn.

Light Your Garden with Solar Lights: You may want to highlight special areas of your garden to show off specimen plants or you might just like to light your garden for evening enjoyment. Installing electric lights is a costly venture and continues to cost money each month in electricity, a non-renewable resource. You may even have to have a professional install your lights, which can be very expensive. Instead, you can purchase solar powered lighted which are beautiful and quite inexpensive. They generally cost the same or often much less than electric light and collect enough solar energy even on cloudy days to light the garden all evening. The selection of solar powered lights includes some very unique and beautiful designs and you will find a choice that is perfect for you eco-friendly garden.

 

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