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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 , 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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Gardening fashion is turning toward retro plants. Most Baby Boomers recall from their childhood years going to their grandparents’ homes and seeing a gorgeous, bountiful flower garden of colorful blossoms. Sometimes, on a sunny summer day, Grandma probably gave you scissors and allowed you to cut a bouquet.

A time came that perfectly manicured shrubs were the rage in gardening fashion and annual [flower gardens] were much less popular. Just like pin-striped suits and bellbottoms, the plants of childhood were no longer in fashion. Just like clothing fashion has revisited styles of years gone by, gardening fashion is turning to the beauty and simplicity of retro plants.

Retro plants offer a comforting feel of nostalgia and most are very easy to grow. Let’s look at some of the great retro plants that are coming back into gardening fashion:

Sunflowers: Huge, Mammoth varieties provide huge blossoms a foot or more across. But if you want less height and drama, you can find sunflowers in smaller varieties and even color variations now. If you want to feed the wild birds in winter or roast sunflower seeds for your family, choose the large Mammoths and allow the seeds to mature. Sunflowers are a great choice for a child’s first gardening adventure because the large, colorful blossoms offer such satisfaction after the growing period. Nothing is more dramatic on a table than two or three large sunflower blossoms in a simple vase.

Zinnias: Zinnias offer a bounty of color and blossoms and are easy to grow, making them perfect for the busy modern family. The wide range of colors available allows the retro garden to have brightness and the blossoms make great cut flowers. There are even green blossoms available now; that variety is aptly named ‘Envy’. These, too, are great starter-flowers for young gardeners.

Marigolds: Want an easy to grow plant which will also help repel unwanted insects from the garden? Then marigolds are for you. You’ll find a range of colors and even plant sizes so there is a variety sure to fit into your retro garden perfectly.

Ferns: Ferns never really go out of style, but recently they have become all the rage for hanging baskets as well as ground plantings. For an elegant front porch look that is inviting, hang Boston ferns long the front of the porch. While these ferns are not the easiest to grow, a little care will go a long way in maintaining their beauty. On trick with the Boston fern is that all too often it is seriously root bound when purchased and will thrive when one crowded pot is divided into two. Asparagus fern can be lush and gorgeous, but use care when choosing where to plant this tuberous, spreading fern or it can get out of hand. Great for ground cover in front of taller plants or in baskets. Watch out when trimming because many of these ferns have small thorns hidden in their beautiful, deep green foliage.

Coleus: For a variety of color, coleus is a great choice. Colors range from light, pale green to deepest purple and many varieties are variegated. Easy to grow, this plant loves moisture and can even be grown in deep shade. In fact, it requires shade at least a good portion of the day to thrive.

You can create a welcoming entrance to your home for Thanksgiving quite easily by using the bounty of your lawn and garden for decorating. As the seasonal color scheme changes with the advent of fall, you will find that your landscape provides you with a wealth of ideas and color to include in decorating your doorsteps, front porch, walkway or driveway to welcome guests as they arrive for holiday get-togethers.

If you happen to have grapevines in your garden, you can harvest these and, while they are pliable, weave them into shapes for wreaths. Simply twist the vines into the desired shape; add a few twist ties or pieces of florist wire to secure the vines if needed. Circular or oval wreaths are the easiest shapes to create, but you can get as creative as you wish. While weaving grapevines, you might want to create one or more to use as a candle ring or to decorate the base of a Thanksgiving centerpiece. If you do not have grapevines, you can purchase pre-made wreaths easily.

Using Colorful Leaves

Shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday, harvest some colorful leaves from your landscape to decorate your wreaths. Use a selection of various shapes and colors and simply hot glue or wire them into position on your grapevine wreath. Add a colorful bow, either purchased or one you tie yourself, to the wreath and hang on the front door or porch railing.

If you saved dried straw flowers from summertime gardening, you can add these to your wreath for another beautiful addition. These can also be used to create garlands along a porch railing, enhance greenery displays, and to include in your indoor Thanksgiving decorating.

Potted chrysanthemums in appropriately-sized pots can be used to place on each side of the front door or along the driveway or walkway. These beautiful flowering plants are available in an array of colors so choose some which compliment your Thanksgiving decorating color palette. Yellow, orange, and even maroon bring fall's colors into your welcoming entranceway.

Boughs of holly with its red berries can be draped along the porch or stair railing. You could also add boughs along window sills. Another great choice for draping greenery along the front walkway is asparagus fern. This hardy greenery holds up very well when cut for several days, making it perfect for the entire Thanksgiving holiday.

Pumpkins and Gourds

Pumpkins and gourds can be harvested and placed on your door steps, beside your front door, along the walkway, or as a [decoration] at the base of an outdoor post lamp. They also look wonderful when used as a border feature along your eave garden. Simply select ones that have appealing shapes and place them in the design desired. Add some colorful leaves or greenery to complete the look.

Add some of Thanksgiving's bounty outdoors for the birds to enjoy. Simply place a birdfeeder and suet racks in good locations so your outdoor friends can come to visit and delight your holiday guests.

You do not have to spend fortunate purchasing ready-made decorations for Thanksgiving. It is more fun to make them from the items grown in your own garden and landscape. This can become a family tradition and bring everyone closer together as they enjoy the bounty of nature and realize that Thanksgiving is all about being thankful to have such beauty to enjoy.