We all want to make a conscious effort to be more eco-friendly, right?! Unfortunately, it can be easier said than done in some cases. The lack of free time or money can be a big drawback when we’re trying to be kinder to the environment. One of the easiest places to start your eco-friendly journey is in the garden. Here you can make just a few changes, to be greener. To make things easy, here are 6 stress-free tips for a garden that’s environmentally friendly.
-
DIY Compost
This is such an easy thing to do, that will help the environment in plenty of different ways. Keep together all of your scraps of food, plant cuttings, and paper. Have an area in your garden that’s your designated compost bin. It could just be a pile if you don’t want to invest in a proper bin. You can keep an old ice cream pot in the kitchen, to scrape in the scraps of food. Before tipping it into your compost heap. Easy!
Picture source: Flickr
-
Plant Wildflowers
You can get free or cheap wildflower seeds from several ‘Save the Bees’ charities, throughout most of the year. Simply scatter them anywhere you have long grass. They’ll do most of the hard work for you. Wildflowers are resilient like that! They also attract bumblebees and other insects to come into your garden.
-
Make a Water Butt
Make your own water butt out of pretty much anything. Lots of people use old dustbins or wheelie bins. Use it to collect rainwater which can then be used on your thirsty plants. If you don’t have the time to make a water butt, simply buy one. They’re not too pricey and will save you money on your water bills.
-
Porous Paving
Invest in some eco-friendly paving, which can do your garden (and environment) the world of good. Porous pavers offer an easy solution for hard surfaces in the garden, that are also eco-friendly. As they’re porous, they’ll soak up any rainwater. It will then be slowly distributed back into your garden to feed the lawn.
Picture source: Flickr
-
Avoid Chemicals
There are so many reasons why you shouldn’t spray chemicals in your garden. It can harm the environment, the air, the water system, and nearby wildlife. Instead, call in that insect army that came with the wildflowers. Lots of brightly coloured plants will attract insects that eat anything that preys on your flowers.
-
Grow Your Own
There’s something so relaxing and satisfying about growing your own fruit and vegetables. Some people think it’ll be too much hard work, but we promise it isn’t. As soon as you’ve got the swing of things, most fruit and veg take care of themselves. If growing vegetables seems too much, stick to a simple herb garden instead. You’ll also get the enjoyment of fresh food from the garden on your plate.
Who knew it could be so simple to go green? Start off with the garden and you’ll be surprised how easy the rest of your home becomes. Being environmentally friendly doesn’t need to mean extra expense or effort. In fact, most of the time it can save you time and money. More time to spend in your lovely, eco-friendly garden!