Green up your Garden

Sustainability is extremely important, it’s all about giving back to earth by using organic methods. So, get creative, spend some time if your garden and help the environment all at once. 

Here are some tips on how you can easily improve your gardens sustainability:

Water Conservation

You can collect rainwater in buckets or watering cans. This saves money and plants actually prefer rainwater as it’s acidic, whereas tap water is chalky!

In addition, our Oasis Treatment reduces the amount of watering required by as much as 80%. It does this by improving absorption and encouraging root development, keeping your grass greener for longer. 

Compost Heap 

Home composting is certainly the most environmentally friendly method of dealing with kitchen and garden waste. As a bonus, this waste also produces compost that can be used as an excellent soil improver.  

• Choose a place – The ideal compost area is a dry shady spot. Place a container into the space with an earth base to allow proper drainage. 
• Add the ingredients – Aim for between 25%-50% soft green materials such as grass clippings, weeds, fruit and vegetable waste or manure. The remainder should be woody brown material such as hedge trimmings, wood chippings, paper, cardboard (torn up/shredded), straw or dead leaves.
• Add water as needed – Make sure the pile stays moist, but not too wet. 
• Keep things moving – Turn your compost mixture every so often to add air to the mix. This helps speed up the composting process. Turning it once a month should be enough to introduce enough air to the heap.
• Wait a while – When the compost no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it’s fully cooked and ready to be fed to the garden. Garden compost can take between six months to two years to reach maturity.

Biodiverse Plants 

Utilise plants which are beneficial and wildlife friendly. Insects aren’t always pests and can have a positive impact on our gardens. For examples, certain types of tree such as beech, oak, wild cherry, and crab apple are home to caterpillars, beetles, etc. which provide a great food source for canopy birds. 

Bees and butterflies are also important to maintaining a balanced eco-system. They allow plants to reproduce, creating more homes for birds and the insects they feed off. We’d suggest a mixture of shrubs and plants. For example, wild blackberry and blueberry bushes, and climbers like trumpet creeper. To attract bees, plant flowers which are rich in pollen and nectar such as honeysuckle and crocuses.

Read more here.

Mulching 

Leaf Mulching is another great step towards a sustainable garden. Not only will it preserve your garden’s soil from erosion, it also works as a barrier preventing weeds and other grasses from growing. It can also act as insulation for plants, animals, and insects, specifically useful in safeguarding worms from prey. 

It is super easy to do and is a great alternative to throwing them away. You need to collect any fallen leaves, avoiding any that are diseased. Then shred the leaves as much as you can and simply spread around and over your plants and flower beds – 2 to 3 inches thick avoiding the stem.

Green Roofs 

Buy or create a living mat of plants and wildflowers to top your shred roof. This increases water retention and generates greater biodiversity.  

Read more here.

Sustainable Wood 

Try to responsibly source your wood for decking, fencing, pergolas, etc. This isn’t just about forestry but the complete lifecycle including the production processes and our own environmental impact as consumers. The precise origins of wood can be difficult to trace, however you can check these schemes for further advice – Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

And most importantly, reclaim, reuse, and recycle!

Contact your local branch today: https://www.greenthumb.co.uk/branch