5 Eco Friendly Ways to look after your Garden

Posted by Bamboo Village on 21st Mar 2016

Despite looking green and wonderful, some aspects of your garden and the way you look after your garden can harm the environment. While you're tending for your beautiful plants and fresh lawn this season, minimise the negative aspects of what you're doing by considering these tips below.

Find out the 'dirt' on your soil - Fertilising your lawn is great, but have you considered what is inside some brands? Many phosphates and nitrates that are found in fertilisers can kill fish in ponds by contaminating the water. To see what your soil is really thirsting for, have it tested and see what nutrients it needs. Try to get fertilisers that are organic and release things slowly. Also ensure that fertiliser is never applied before it rains.

Get rid of the pest, naturally - Hate those bothersome insects in the garden? There are many natural ways to get rid of them. You need to attract beneficial insects, such as spiders and ladybirds that are natural predators of common pests. To do this, offer them a welcoming environment with things like cover on the ground, water, and a variety of plants. Birds also help to get rid of pests, so create a good bird habitat by having such things as a birdbath and bird feeders.

Mow, mow, mow your lawn - Fancy a workout when you mow? Perhaps not a desirable option for some, but having a manual mower is a much more environmentally friendly option. Using a gas powered lawn mower for an hour produces almost the same amount of pollution as driving a car 100 miles, and battery ones cause lead emissions too. Use a manual one, and not only get a free (and quite easy) workout, but free fertiliser for your lawn.

Compost your veg and waste - When you've got kitchen and garden waste, don't throw it out to head to landfills - compost it instead. Composting at home is the most environmentally friendly way to get rid of waste. Composting reduces the amount of rubbish we get rid of, as well as reducing the risks of that rubbish polluting the air, water and land. The rich and nutritious compost will be ready to use after 6 months, perfect for your soil. And best of all, it is free.

Water wisely - If you water your garden regularly, do it the environmentally friendly way by only watering in the evening or quite early morning. If you do it during the day, the water will evaporate much quicker, which is a waste. Ensure you use a soaker hose too when you need the water to get to the roots. Instead of using your water hose, why not save rain water in a barrel, and use this to water your garden?

Is your garden environmentally friendly? Do you have any additional tips you'd like to share?