How You Can Protect the Environment By Gardening This Year

Gardening is one of the leading hobbies for millions of people – homeowners, seniors, youth, etc. The onset of the spring season is the most exciting for garden lovers, as it is the perfect time to sow, weed, plant flowers, and fertilize them. You also don’t have to wait for long to enjoy your results. 

During this season, retail nurseries, flower shops, homeowners and garden centers pump millions of dollars towards permeable pavers and other gardening investments hoping to get the best results.

Sadly, some gardeners make mistakes that may seem small but have an immense effect on the environment. So, you should take care of the environment as you enjoy your gardening hobby. 

Below are some tips for achieving sustainable and eco-friendly gardening.

Invest in Safe Alternatives Instead of Chemical Pesticides

Despite their prominence in the modern world, chemical pesticides, including insecticides and herbicides, are harmful to the environment – human health, nature and wildlife. The products destroy the sensitive beneficial organisms in the soil and remain concentrated in groundwater and the food chain. 

Fortunately, there are safe alternatives to keeping your garden free of herbs and insects. Regular weeding, for instance, loosens the soil, protecting its soil life and increasing its water storage capacity. 

Besides, you can practice dense planting in the bedsit to keep off weeds from the garden. You can maintain beneficial organisms with dense planting while using exclusively natural pesticides and mulch. 

Making Your Own Soil: Organic Fertilizers

While other gardeners rush to buy chemical fertilizers, you have a convenient, affordable and effective way to help the environment through gardening. The secret lies in your compost – one of the best organic fertilizers. 

Your compost creates the best manure that improves soil fertility and ensures that your plants get all the valuable nutrients for optimal growth and development. Besides, composts save most of your kitchen remains and wastes from ending up in the bin instead of the garden. Composts are also made of wooden containers instead of everyday plastics, which are harmful to the environment. 

On the other hand, artificial fertilizers require a lot of energy to manufacture and damage the soil after several years. So, using organic fertilizers during gardening is the best option. Besides the compost, you can also try out manure, horn shavings, rock flours, herbal extract and earthworm humus.

Consider Peat-Free Soil

As a sustainable alternative to traditional gardening soil, peat-free soil is an excellent option for the gardener who wishes to protect the environment. Peat is a natural and precious raw material produced in lengthy processes in moors. 

Conventional potting soil consists of 80% peat, which requires draining and drying numerous moors. The results include immense irreversible damage, considering that the moor ecosystem takes thousands of years to regenerate – for a one-meter peat thickness to form.

Besides, peat extraction releases vast amounts of carbon (IV) oxide, which increases the effects of global warming. So, peat-free soil is the best gardening option because it protects the environment by minimizing the carbon footprint and global warming effects. You can find peat-free soil in gardening centers and DIY stores affordably.

Protect Beneficial Organisms – Bees/ Birds and Their Habitat

Beneficial organisms need a safe and comfortable place to live in your garden. So, it would help if you were less concerned about keeping your garden too ‘clean’ as it makes the area an unsuitable habitat for these organisms. Foliage and withered flowers, for instance, may seem unappealing to your garden, but they serve as shelter and food for these organisms during the winter.

Birds and bees also find their food from bushes, flower remnants and indigenous perennials. Some wild bees, which are crucial pollinators, lay their eggs in tubes, but you can also create some fantastic ‘homes’ from wooden blocks or buy nesting aids from DIY stores.

Use Native Seeds and Plants

To benefit the environment, consider using selective planting of different native growths and plants. These plants act as habitats and food for wild bees, honeybees, butterflies and other insects throughout the year. 

Besides, it would be best to have a continuous range of flowers from different species and in varying developmental stages – early, medium and late flowering. You can find the local plants in local nurseries, online stores and weekly markets.

To Sum Up

Gardening isn’t just a chance to practice your hobby but also an opportunity to protect the environment. 

In addition to the above tips, you should also use rainwater to water your garden in the summer. Rainwater is easy to collect and use while saving tap water around the home. You minimize your water consumption at home and save lots of money on utility bills. 

You can also save the environment by recycling plastic bottles for water conversation. Use these containers as planting pots and watering cans instead of releasing them into the environment.