Summer is here and we all want to enjoy our gardens and the warm summer breeze in all its glory. After all, there’s nothing quite like a beautifully designed and decorated garden to feel at peace and in-touch with surrounding nature.
But being green, we need to be aware that gardens can be huge energy and water consumers, and can ultimately be anything but eco-friendly. From lighting to placing decorative pieces, it’s important to be conscious of the environmental impact of each aspect of your garden.
Fortunately, there are smart ways to keep garden decoration looking great while lowering your carbon footprint and ensuring you keep eco-friendly. Here are just a few things to keep in mind to ensure you decorate your garden the environmentally friendly way.
Use green materials
If you are remodeling or renovating your landscape, always try to use green or recycled materials. Projects using wood, such as an exterior deck, should use recycled or reclaimed wood from other construction sites. Lumber yards often provide a selection of reclaimed and recycled timber which can be used for outdoor home projects. The idea here is to repurpose wood that would otherwise go to waste.
Use solar lighting
Rather than purchase garden lighting that consumes electricity, invest on solar lighting options that will automatically recharge hassle-free. The energy efficiency of solar lighting is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for your pocket. There are no outdoor electrical circuits and no running costs once the lamps are placed. There are a wide variety of solar lighting lamps available and they are surprisingly affordable.
DIY the decoration
We’re all about reusing on this site, which is why we love crafts and DIY projects that repurpose objects and create something new from something old. There are so many inventive ways to use household items for garden decoration. Items from yard sales can also be handy for creating DIY items. It’s all about using your creativity and imagination to visualize how items can be repurposed. For example, repurposed furniture can be used to create a new decorative planter for the front porch.
Think of the animals
There’s nothing quite like having a garden full of butterflies, squirrels, birds and especially, hummingbirds. When decorating your garden, give some thought to how you can create a friendly environment for these sweet animals and insects, who really add a touch of joy to the area. Items like birdbaths, birdhouses and feeders can really add to the look of the landscape and attract the little ones.
Install eco-friendly garden tech
Aim away from energy and water-hungry options in your garden. Instead, install reclaimed water solutions that will collect natural rain water while not harming the look of your landscape. Ideally, the collected water would be used to feed your lawn, flowers and plants, so as to decrease your water consumption. This generally requires working with a landscape architect or sustainability specialist who can help set-up a green solution in your garden, but it’s worth the investment in the long run.
Buy used garden décor
Buying used items such as patio and garden furniture from yard sales can be a great way to reuse gardening items that would otherwise be discarded as trash. It’s an eco-friendly way to repurpose perfectly useful furniture and decorations that deserve to be showcased on the lawn. It’s important for your garden to become a comfortable place to enjoy, but we also need to consider our use of Earth’s resources.
