You’re probably aware of the most common ways you can help care for the environment, such as recycling, taking care not to drop any litter, and turning off lightbulbs to conserve energy. But when it comes to your garden, you may not be informed of the simple steps you can take to ensure that you’re living an eco-friendly life.
There are a number of things you can do in your garden to make sure you’re being environmentally conscious- and that doesn’t just mean growing as many different plants as possible. Here are 5 simple ways you can make your garden more environmentally friendly:
- Choose Local Materials
The closer a product has been sourced to your home, the more you can reduce the carbon footprint. Not only that, but you will be supporting local and often smaller business than those who ship all around the world. When it comes to furniture such as patio chairs, make sure you do your research and find furniture that has been built in the UK.
- Use Recycled Materials
These days, there is pretty much a sustainable option for everything- and this applies to gardens as well! Everything from gardening tools, to furniture, to landscaping materials can now be sourced using eco-friendly material, so you can do your bit for the environment even when you’re choosing a new pair of gardening gloves.
Often, things made from recycled material are better quality and easier to maintain. Ecoscape’s slatted fence panels are a great example of top-quality sustainable garden materials. Made from a combination of hardwood sawdust and recycled plastic, these fencing panels contain 95% recycled materials, making them a great environmentally friendly option. You can check out their colour and style options at: https://ecoscapeuk.co.uk/products/slatted-fence-panels/.
- Collect Rain Water
Since we get so much rain in the UK, water conservation is one of the easiest things you can do in order to take care of the environment. You can collect water in just about everything, from barrels, to buckets and wheelbarrows, which can then be used at a later date to water your plants. If you want to take things a step further, you could even consider an underground rain tank.
- Stay Away From Chemicals
Chemicals are often an easy solution for controlling the pests or resilient weeds in your garden, but just a small amount can cause a significant amount of damage to the environment. Instead of using chemicals, you could try some natural pest control ideas, like covering your garden with fine Environmesh netting, or using leaf sprays like garlic, elder and rhubarb.
You can kill any existing weeds by covering them with a weighted plastic sheet, and to keep any future weeds away from your plants you could try spreading a layer of compost or shredded bark around them to act as a repellent.
- Select Eco Friendly Plants
Those who care about the wildlife should choose plants that provide food and shelter for animals and insects. Berry-producing plants such as hawthorn will attract the birds, with hedges being great nesting sites. Nectar-rich, open-faced flowers such as echinacea will attract insects that are garden-friendly.