If you have always looked at other people’s gardens with awe wishing your garden looked like that, today is your day to start your gardening journey! Even if previously you have not been very good with plant life there is still opportunity for you to learn and improve.
Plant A Tree
If your garden is big enough planting a tree could be a fantastic way to make your garden more sustainable as trees are great for drawing carbon from the atmosphere. Plus you will get to watch the tree grow over time and benefit from the increased biodiversity in your garden. Many types of trees provide fruits or flowers that can be eaten by wildlife, attracting biodiversity to your garden. Trees also provide nesting spaces for birds and shelter for larger animals such as foxes. If you wanted to make your tree look truly special during the winter months you could consider hanging waterproof fairy lights on your tree from time to time.
Collect Water To Use To Water Your Plants Instead Of Using Tap Water
Whilst the process of tap water being treated and sent to your house does not use a lot of energy, it still uses energy that you don’t need to use. Instead of using tap water to water your plants, you could simply use water that you have collected from rainfall. Natural water can also be better for plant life than tap water, as tap water can contain high amounts of minerals and salts that can create unfavourable conditions for the plant.
Make Your Compost
Compost is normally sold in large quantities, usually several kilograms per package. Now imagine a truck transporting hundreds of these at a time, the more weighed down the vehicle is the worse its fuel efficiency will be as the engine will need to work harder to perform. Why not avoid this process altogether by making your own compost? To make a compost heap you should find a sheltered area of your garden or store your compost in a sheltered compost bin; you can put green waste such as weeds and other green garden matter in a compost bin. Additionally, you can also include brown waste which includes tree branches, cardboard, egg shells and dead leaves.
Don’t Worry Too Much About Having A Perfectly Maintained Garden
If you never allowed a blade of grass to be out of place in your garden you may be missing a biodiversity opportunity. Think about it, biodiversity flourishes in areas that are often devout of human impact such as forests, plants can grow without being chopped down providing food shelter and a food source for a plethora of wildlife. We are not saying you should turn your garden into a forest landscape, but letting your garden grow more than what you may consider ‘neat’ provides an incredible biodiversity atmosphere.
Grow Your Own Flowers
Growing your own flowers can save the energy cost of transporting foreign flowers to your house and garden, plus when you grow your own flowers you will gain increased satisfaction because you can celebrate your achievement. Plus flowers you have grown yourself make for a more thoughtful gift than flowers you have purchased from the shop.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
Why not try your hand at growing your own vegetables and fruit in your garden? By doing a bit of research you can find the best fruits and vegetables to grow in the climate of your garden no matter how much gardening experience you previously have. If your harvest is successful you will treated fresh fruit or vegetables; this can be better for the environment than buying from the shop as the produce you grow yourself doesn’t need to be transported across long distances like many fruits and vegetables sold at stores.
Electrify Your Gardening Tools
If you are currently using petroleum-powered gardening equipment such as lawnmowers and leafblowers you should consider trading them in for electrified equivalents as these are far more energy efficient and will likely reduce running costs for you in the process.
Make Homes For Wildlife
Creating shelter for the types of animals you are trying to attract to your garden can be great for biodiversity conservation; for example, you could install a birdbox, butterfly house or even a hedgehog house in your garden. These animal shelters will attract corresponding animals to your garden, increasing the overall biodiversity of your garden.
Add A Water Feature
Adding a water feature such as a small pond if you have space provides a home for amphibians like frogs and insects which further increases the biodiversity in your garden. If you don’t quite have enough room for a pond you could opt for a birdbath instead.
Conclusion
Making simple changes to your garden can increase biodiversity and make your garden more sustainable. Why not start today?
