Ways To Make Your Garden Better For The Environment

We all know that we have to try to be greener and save the planet. Many of us have started to adapt our homes and routine to help. But we may not think about our gardens. There are many ways you make your garden better for the environment. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Conserve Water

We all know that we should be conserving water at home but what about in the garden? There are many ways you can conserve water in your garden. First of all, don’t use a hose to water your plants. Try using a watering can or a bucket instead. A lot of the water from a hose doesn’t get to your plants. A watering can will ensure no water is wasted.

Instead of using water from the taps, you can save rainwater. Buy a large water butt or place buckets in the garden to collect the rainwater. You can then use the rainwater to water your plants as needed. This will conserve water and save you money on your water bill.

If you are trying to conserve water, you could look at getting flowers and plants that like dryer conditions and won’t want to be watered as frequently. Flowers such as Lantana or Lavender brighten up your garden and smell nice but they also help conserve water.

Plant Things

These days there are very few trees in built-up areas. However, trees have many positive attributes. They can help the environment by removing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They also help the environment by offering wildlife a place to live. If you plant a tree in your garden, you will start to see a lot of different species of birds.

You don’t have to plant a tree you help local wildlife. Many smaller flowers will attract insects and butterflies. You could plant a tree that gives off the fruit. An apple pie tastes better if you know you have grown the apples yourself.

Grow Your Own

If you want to help the environment, you could try to grow your own fruit and veg. Build yourself a greenhouse or simply have some pots on a windowsill. If you grow your own, you know there have been no pesticides that are harmful to the environment.

Everyone’s food has a carbon footprint from where it is grown to your table. Foods that are imported have a significantly higher carbon footprint than those grown locally. The higher the carbon footprint the worse the food is for the environment. If you grow your own you know it has a carbon footprint of almost nothing. So you could be saving yourself money and saving the planet. If you are only able to grow a few bits, it is still worth it.

Protect Local Wildlife

There is so much you can do to protect the local wildlife. To help birds you could build a birdhouse or place bird feeders in your garden. This is most important in the winter when there are fewer berries naturally growing. You don’t have to go out and buy expensive bird feed. Birds eat many of the food we throw away as leftovers. We all know birds love bread but did you know they also enjoy pasta, rice, potatoes, biscuits and fruit? So think twice before throwing your leftovers out.

Leaving out a little food and water can be great for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs like meaty pet food. So if you have a dog or cat, leave a little of their meaty food outside for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs also like cat biscuits. You can keep hedgehogs safe from predators by making them a hedgehog house. There is a lot of animal charities that offer advice and instruction on how to make the perfect hedgehog home.

Make a Compost heap

Sometimes we have leftovers that cant be used for anything. Instead of throwing them away. You could make compost. You simply need a bin or a large tub. Place it somewhere in your garden that is warm. Then place any organic rubbish you have in there. Anything from food waste to cut grass from lawn mowing and dead flowers can go it. You may need to turn your compost every now and again. It can take a while but it will break down and you can add it to your plants to give them a nutrient boost.

Making A Garden That’s Better For The Planet

There is a lot we can do to make our gardens better for the planet. This could be protecting the earth from further damage or protecting the wildlife. Making a garden that’s better for the planet can also bring us joy as it will look nice and encourage wildlife to visit.

It can be difficult, not all plants grow in all environments, and we can’t all afford lots of plants in our gardens but if we all do a little we can have a big impact.