Creating an eco-friendly house has become quite the trend in recent years, and for good reason. Not only would you be helping the environment by doing so, but you’re also likely to save a considerable amount of money in the long term. When it comes to gardens, however, people often overlook the idea of “going green”. Besides, gardens tend to be pretty green already, right?
Well, when it comes to eco-friendliness, that isn’t always the case, as a lot of materials used can harm the environment, both at the production and consumption stage. By taking into account certain factors that most people overlook, you’ll be helping to protect our depleting environment. Here are some of the best ideas that you should take into consideration:
- Use local products and materials: Whether you’re looking to build log cabins using new timber products, or you’re simply buying some new plant pots, your carbon footprint will be seriously impacted depending on where that product was produced. This is because the product would have travelled fewer miles to reach your door, and thus less polluting transportation methods would have been used. On top of the environmental benefits of buying locally, it’s also great to support local businesses.
- Cut down your water consumption: In today’s world, water is precious, hence making water conservation essential if you want to ensure adequate resources for future generations. Although plants need their fair share of water, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the amount you use. For instance, water your plants manually rather than using sprinklers – this helps ensure that water isn’t wasted on leaves or plants that require less water.
- Pest control products can often be harmful: Not only are the chemicals used in pest control products often harmful towards the environment, but their production is also highly polluting. You might think that there’s no alternative, but that isn’t the case! There are certain methods of natural or eco-friendly pest control that are highly effective. For instance, use copper slug rings to ensure the slugs stay away and use rhubarb leaf spray to keep the pests at bay. Those are just two examples, but there are plenty more!
- Homemade compost: Not only will using homemade compost save you some money, but it’ll also give you a way to recycle your green waste. It’s simple to make, and completely free. There are many things you can make your compost out of, such as used tea bags, leaves, shredded cardboard, cut grass and more. Just throw it all in a container and let it decompose over time.
- Reuse and recycle: Last but not least, reusing old materials, and recycling what you no longer need can be a great way to save money and go green at the same time. Instead of buying new materials, it can often be considerably cheaper to look for second-hand products on websites such as eBay. Besides, old reused materials might bring some charm into your garden!