Sustainable gardening is incorporating environmentally-friendly design, landscape, and gardening practices. This is becoming popular among celebrities as well. The benefits of having a sustainable garden include protecting the environment, having organically-grown and fresh vegetables/fruits, and having a beautiful landscape to view. Here is a list of tips and ways to make a sustainable garden.
Conserve water and control runoff
Water is one of the most important resources on Earth, and conserving it is one of the best ways to create a sustainable garden. When it comes to conserving water, you can’t just rely on your best friend: the rain. As we all know, sometimes it just doesn’t rain enough. Sometimes you need to get a little more creative. Overusing water can lead to water shortages and its impacts are exacerbated during droughts. Water can be conserved in a multitude of ways.
- Water plants only when its needed
- Use a low-angle spray instead of oscillating sprinklers as they result in less water loss due to evaporation.
- Use a drip irrigation or soaker hoses instead of oscillating sprinklers
- Put up a rain barrel collects rainwater to water the plants
- Develop a swale to help retain water in the soil and prevent runoff
Compost and use garden waste
It’s hot. It’s trendy. It’s a great way to recycle your organic waste, and it’s also a really good way to help out your garden! Composting is sustainable because it is a process that reuses and enriches the environment. Composting lessens the amount of waste going to landfills, enriches soil the, helps retain moisture, and suppresses plant diseases and pests.
Composting can be done on any scale—in your backyard or in a community garden—and it doesn’t take much effort at all. All you need is some time and space for a pile of decomposing matter (aka garbage). You can make compost from food scraps or yard waste like leaves or grass clippings; alternatively, you could use manure from livestock if you have access to such resources.
- Rake leaves over your garden when putting the garden into winter bed
- Indoor food composting
- Plant green manures (crops like rye, oats, and hairy vetch) to add nitrogen and other nutrients
- Add leaves into your compost pile
- Support, volunteer, or develop a yard waste recycling program for the neighborhood
- Send garden waste to the local yard waste recycling program for materials that can’t be composted rather than sending plant-based waste to the landfill.
- Reuse plastic, clay and other pots in your garden and do not send them to a landfill. After using a pot, you can send them to specific locations to be recycled
Seed Saving
What’s in your seeds?
If you’re like most people, the answer is “not much.” That’s because in America, we’ve lost 90% of our fruit and vegetable varieties. That means that the only fruits and veggies you can buy are the ones that are most popular—and that leaves little room for diversity.
But what if we told you there’s a way to change that? What if we told you that seeds can help us preserve diversity? And what if we told you it was super easy to do? All it takes is a little planning and some seed-saving know-how.
The good news is, all it takes is taking some time to sit down with your plants and get to know them better. You’ll learn more about their growing habits, which will help you make better decisions when it comes time to harvest them—and that means more food security for everyone!
- Begin saving the easiest seeds which include plans like peas, beans, peppers, tomatoes
- Take seeds from dried flowers
- Find fields and woodlands for native plants and grasses to harvest
- Identify weeds and invasive plants to prevent accidental growth in your garden
Use Native Plants
You know what’s an easy way to make your garden sustainable? Letting the plants in it do all the work!
Because native plants are perfectly adapted to the climate of where you live, they’ll thrive naturally in your micro-climate. This means that you can use less soil additives, less water, and in general less work for them to thrive in the garden.
- Consult with local garden experts to find the appropriate native plants for your garden
- Ideally, find plants that will match your given climate: tolerate drought or high rainfall
- Like gardening, choose plants that mature during the appropriate growing season
- Consider plants that tolerate high winds for conditions that are more exposed/barren
Reduce amount of fossil-fuel energy
When it comes to the environment, we all want to do our part. And if you’re anything like us, you love a good challenge. So why not try something new?
We’re talking about using tools that release less pollutants in the air. This not only makes the environment healthier, but it is also better for people’s health as well. Taking measures to use less fossil-fuel energy and more clean energy is an easy way to help your body and the planet.
- Reduce the size of the lawn, which would require less mowing/use of a mower
- Use a more energy-efficient lawn mower that pollutes less
- Garden and dig by hand rather than using an electric tool
- Only mow your lawn when needed
Mulch
Mulching is sustainable for a few reasons.
First, it keeps weeds from growing in your garden, which means you won’t have to use as many chemicals to control them. This means less waste, more money saved, and healthier plants!
Second, mulch helps hold moisture in the soil, which reduces the need for watering your plants (and conserves water). This can be especially important in regions where water is scarce or restricted.
- Add a 2 to 3-inch layer of the mulch around garden beds and plants.
- Sustainable options for mulch are the following: shredded bark, cocoa bean hulls, pine needles, and grass clippings.
Plant Perennials
Looking to save money and practice sustainable habits? Look no further than planting perennials!
Perennials are plants that come back year after year, providing a long-lasting, low-maintenance alternative to annuals. You can find them in all shapes, sizes, and colors—and they will grow larger each year.
The best thing about perennials is that you don’t have to buy new ones every year. And since they’re more permanent than annuals, you won’t have to water them as much either! One should find perennials adapted to their USDA Zone.
- Select more drought tolerant grasses that require less mowing.
- Plant different species and varieties of plants, which can provide habitats for beneficial insects and reduce damage from periodic diseases. You are also helping to preserve genetic diversity.
