How do I Create an Eco-Friendly Garden?

There are myriad ways that a regular garden can be transformed into an eco-friendly garden, and many of these methods can be used in tandem. An eco-friendly garden is a kind of garden that benefits both the gardener and the earth. It benefits the gardener by creating a beautiful living space, and perhaps by producing food, and it also benefits the earth by being tended in a manner that either reduces the impact on the earth or helps to replenish it.

One great way to create an eco-friendly garden is to use compost. Composting is a great way to make use of organic material such as table scraps and similar kitchen waste. After these materials have gone through the composting process, they will yield rich planting material for an eco-friendly garden. This also reduces the need to purchase topsoil and fertilizer. Another reason that it is great to use compost is that the composting process in and of itself reduces the amount of material sent to landfills and, by extension, reduces the need for large garbage collection vehicles to shuttle waste there.

Another way to create an eco-friendly garden is to use fertilizers and pesticides that are made with natural ingredients. There are many natural products, such as bone meal, that can be used to fertilize an eco-friendly garden without the use of chemicals. As for pesticides, it is best to use products that target the specific pest that is creating a problem.

Most traditional pesticides kill all bugs that come into contact with the treated plants. This is both unnecessary and harmful to the overall health of a garden, which benefits from the activity of many kinds of insects. Therefore, a product that only targets the kind of bug that is creating a problem is the best choice for an eco-friendly garden.

Eco-friendly gardening is not only about reusing materials as with composting, and using pesticides in a responsible manner. It is also about reducing the use of natural resources, namely water. There are a number of ways to reduce the amount of water used by an eco-friendly garden. One way is to use barrels to collect rainwater from downspouts. Another is to create a garden that reduces the amount of natural runoff and, therefore, makes sure that water expended on the garden goes directly into the garden and does not run off into other areas.