Gardening Guide

Pesticides

Instead of using chemical pesticides, try natural pest control methods like companion planting, handpicking insects, and using natural repellents like garlic or neem oil.

Local plants

Keep in mind that environmental conditions can differ. Sustainable landscape changes not only by state or country, but also by county. Since plants grow based on weather, soil conditions, rainfall, sun and temperature, plants are broken out into categories based on hardness zones. These zones indicate which plants do well in your area/zone. It’s wise to be mindful of the requirements of the flora you plant versus the environment in which you’re planting.

Choose tough guys. Select drought-tolerant, wind-tolerant and low-maintenance plant materials to encourage a healthy ecosystem and provide aesthetic beauty to gardens.

Hardscaping

Use materials that are more natural to the environment. It’s important to organize your design and materials to accommodate a particular environment and temperature, as well as water needs and maintenance requirements.

Use sustainable hardscape materials. These include composite woods, recycled concrete products and turf stabilizers, for driveways and terraces. While the materials can be interchangeable, ideal selections should have longevity and require less maintenance.

Compost

Composting is a great way to recycle kitchen and garden waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your plants. You can compost fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, leaves, and grass clippings.

Organic fertilizers

Use organic fertilizers like compost, bone meal, and fish emulsion instead of chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are made from natural sources and are better for the environment and your plants.

Mulching around your plants can help retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, and add nutrients to the soil. You can use organic materials like leaves, straw, or wood chips as mulch.

Vegetable garden

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and eat healthy, organic produce. You can also save money and reduce food waste by growing your own food.

Water

Think about water use. For better water retention on a lawn, incorporate industrial materials that can serve as retaining walls or curbs. This could include corten steel, railroad ties and recycled concrete objects.

Collecting rainwater in a barrel can help reduce your water usage and provide a free source of water for your plants. You can use the rainwater to water your garden or plants.

Tech

Consider using tech when possible to minimise resource usage. Irrigation clocks, for example, are getting very technologically savvy. This equals big savings in water use, both in waste and cost.

Consider efficient LED motion and light sensitive yard lighting rather than mains powered. Cheap solar garden lights often fail very quickly and therefore head to landfill (definitely not an eco-friendly solution) so do make sure you buy the best quality longest-lasting lights that you can find.