Do you care about the environment? Sustainability has become an increasingly important topic over the last few years as we learn more about how our actions are harming the planet. Environmentalists have been passionately trying to change the public’s perspective of what it means to live sustainable. This is because simple steps towards sustainable living can considerably reduce your carbon footprint, helping the environment thrive.
With this in mind, here are some easy ways you can create a sustainable garden this summer:
1. Start a Compost Heap
A simple and effective way to begin your journey into sustainable living is starting your very own compost heap. Nowadays, you don’t need masses of space for a huge compost heap at the end of your garden, a compost bin tends to do the trick. The good news is that composting will also help you dispose of your household waste in an eco‐friendly way. You can throw tea bags, vegetable cuttings, grass and plant cuttings into your compost bin.
2. Grow Your Own Organic Fruit and Veg
Growing your own fruit and veg isn’t just a great way to live sustain ably, it also improves your diet! You’ll be benefiting from fresh, readily available food right on your doorstep. This also means that you’re not buying fruit that’s travelled hundreds of air miles, which is harmful to the environment. All you need to do is create a designated vegetable patch by digging into some rich soil in one section of your garden. Alternatively, make life easier by planting in large containers.
3. All‐Weather Furniture
Investing in all‐weather furniture is a great idea for summer time. Whether you opt for a garden corner sofa or boutique bistro dining set, ensure that its suitable for use all year‐round. Sustainability isn’t just about providing for yourself, but it’s also about ways in which to cut down on your waste. Therefore, it’s best to invest in all‐weather furniture that won’t quickly depreciate over a short period of time when left outdoors.
4. Save Your Seeds
One way of becoming more sustainable that’s often neglected is saving your plant’s seeds. Once your plant has fully matured, it will start to produce seeds before it eventually dies out. Don’t throw them away! Catch them and keep them, they’ll be perfectly fine for use in your garden next year. Re‐plant them to create a flourishing garden once more – for free!
5. Conserve Water
Water conservation is vital in some areas of the world, in fact, places like California had recently implemented a ban on the use of hosepipes and sprinklers. Using water more responsibly in your garden is an amazing way to live sustainably. Collecting rainwater couldn’t be more simple. Simply divert the water from your drainpipes into a container, this can then be used for watering your plants instead of filling up your watering can.
6. Recycle Household Furniture
By now, you’ve probably had a good spring clean out. Perhaps you’ve got some old furniture that doesn’t quite look right in your home. Instead of throwing it away, why not reinvent its purpose for your garden? One way that gardeners have been recycling household furniture is to use them for vertical gardening. Bookshelves, chest of drawers or tables can all be re purposed as bases for vertical gardens.