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How To Be More Eco-Friendly In Your Garden!

Did you know that 97% of meadows, crucial habitats for insects and bees, have been lost since the end of World War Two. However, if you have a garden you have an opportunity to contribute to protecting the natural world. The UK’s gardens have a combined landmass bigger than the Peak District and Lake District put together. With a few small changes in our gardens, we have an opportunity to help tackle climate change. 

Here are our tips on how you can make your garden more environmentally friendly:

No Pesticides.

Go organic.

Grow in harmony with nature, avoid using synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. They upset the balance of the ecosystem, and there are plenty of natural and organic ways to get rid of pests in your garden. Some examples include soapy water, garlic or saucers of beer.

Compost.

Make your own compost.

A lot of shop-bought compost can include high percentages of peat which is bad for the environment. This is because peat bogs hold a lot of carbon that when harvested for compost gets released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. It is very easy to make your own compost for your garden using household waste, such as raw vegetables, crushed eggshells, fruit peel, tea bags, newspaper and cardboard. Examples of garden waste you can use are fallen leaves, grass and wood cuttings, old plants and foliage.

Grow your own herbs, fruits and vegetables.

By growing your own fruit and vegetables you will reduce the need for food to be flown in from abroad, this will have an impact on reducing carbon emissions so you won’t be contributing to global warming. Growing your own also means you know that no harmful chemicals have been used on the food your family is eating!

Birdshouse.

Encourage birds.

It is a great idea to encourage birds into your garden by putting up birdhouses, baths and feeders as they are a great for pest control in your garden. They will eat all the bugs and insects that are trying to get to your homegrown crops. Finches and sparrows can consume large quantities of weed seeds in your garden, helping you control unwanted plants and eliminating the need to use chemicals. Finally, they are great for pollinating your garden flowers!

Water butt in garden.

Reduce water usage.

Reducing your freshwater usage in the garden is not only good for the environment, its great for your wallet. Investing in a water butt so you can collect rainwater to use for your watering is a great option. Rainwater can also be better for your plants as its near air temperature, using water from the tap can be too cold and shock the plants. Another way to reduce your water usage is to water early in the morning or late at night. When you water plants in the middle of the day a lot of the water just evaporates.

Bee on a flower.

Grow bee-friendly plants.

Encourage bees into your garden by planting wildflowers, poppies, lavenders and sunflowers. Bees are great because they are natural pollinators, without them, there would be far fewer flowers, fruits and vegetables. However, they are disappearing at an alarming rate due to pesticides, parasites, disease and habitat loss. It is estimated that ⅓ of the food we consume each day is pollination dependant, so it’s important we all do our bit to keep them around!
Hedgehog.

Leave wild spaces.

Leave a pile of logs or leaves and twigs, or allow a patch of grass to grow a little longer in a small patch. This will provide food and shelter for small mammals such as hedgehogs, wood mice, voles and shrews. Piles of stones tucked away in hidden corners also make great hibernation spots for reptiles and amphibians. 

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