“Green” Gardening

Fundamentally, for us at Oxford landscaping and design, “going green” – or rather becoming more eco-friendly – means striving to be in harmony with nature. Eco-gardening is the practice of maintaining a chemical free garden; growing your plants organically and providing the most natural environment for them to flourish as possible.

These efforts are important for preserving a sustainable environment; you can help make big changes by starting with your own garden.

With the right planning, you can reap the rewards of an eco-friendly garden all year round, and you can enjoy some surprising benefits in the process.

Growing your own fruit and veg

Growing your own vegetables and fruit in your garden is rewarding in so many ways. Supermarket produce travels an average of 1,500 miles before it ends up on your dinner plate, and the transportation process is heavy in carbon fume emissions, which contributes heavily to global warming. In return for planting your own garden produce, you will save yourself time, money and from a health perspective freshly picked fruit and veg are better for you than supermarket produce. Typically mass produced fruit and vegetables are not as healthly as those that you grow yourself.

Conserve water

Water is vital to the health and growth of your garden, and at the same time it is important to act conscientiously regarding its use in order to be more environmentally friendly. Collecting rain water is a simple solution; water butts are cheap to install, save money in the long run and help protect water sources. You could even collect over 500 litres of water if you opt for one of the larger sizes.

Ponds, pools and water features not only look beautiful, they have some lovely little perks that benefit your garden. Water encourages more wildlife in to your garden, and toads, frogs and birds can come in handy for keeping away plant destroying pests. If you are concerned that your water feature could be more eco-friendly, you could look into reducing your usage of pumps, relying on solar-power and ensure that there are no leaks present.

Go Chemical-free

Many garden-centre fertilisers and pesticides contain chemicals and toxins that over time can build up; these chemicals can seep into your home-grown produce and are dangerous if consumed, as well as penetrating and contaminating water supplies. Fertilisers and pesticides are important for the health of your garden; fertilisers nourish plants, helping them grow strong and healthy. Making your own compost is a chemical-free alternative that is healthier for the microorganisms in your soil, and better for your garden. Compost is simple to make, and as it uses up waste products it is better for the environment too.

Pesticides can keep pesky bugs at bay and protect plants from bacteria, but a chemical-free solution will be more beneficial to your garden in the long run. Certain plants are known to naturally ward of destructive insect. Herbs such as fennel, sage, parsley and thyme all act as a natural insect repellent – as well as function as delicious and fresh recipe ingredients. Planting dill can help to conquer problematic aphids, leaf-footed bugs, spider mites, and cabbage loopers.

Growing and eco-friendly “green” garden has pretty big implications for the planet; you can reduce your carbon footprint and help to save the planet. In the process, you could also save time, money and profit from a beautiful, organic garden that rewards you with delicious home-produce and fills you with pride.

There’s nothing like eating healthy produce and knowing exactly where it has come from!

With thanks to Jennifer Dawson for the content.