Real Homemaking

Making your outdoor space more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to be a hassle. Start with smart, simple changes that will help both your garden and the planet. Here are some easy tips and trends to get you started.

Learn how to conserve water by reducing your overall usage and collecting rainwater for plants in a rain barrel. Always water your lawn early in the morning with a slow-drip soaker hose, as this helps minimize evaporation.

If you want to control weeds and pests naturally, attract wildlife to your backyard by offering food and shelter. When it comes to landscaping, take a low-maintenance approach. Try to choose plants native to your area that don’t require a lot of watering or fertilizing, and opt for naturally derived garden products whenever possible.

Gardening organically isn’t just gardening without chemicals. If you encourage healthy bugs like ladybugs, lacewings and other predatory insects to come into your garden, they’ll feed on your pests. Try planting fennel, dill, alyssum and cumin.

Add as much organic fertilizer and plant food as you can to feed soil organisms. These organisms break down organic material and help feed your plants. Organic compost and plant food are great for adding nutrients to your soil. Organic mulch will also help combat weeds. Instead of tossing your garden and lawn clippings into the garbage, put them back into your garden with the help of a composter.

Potless plants are another great way to go green in your garden. They are a convenient and eco-friendly alternative to plastic pots and trays. They consist of potting soil encased in a bottomless paper wrapper designed to biodegrade in the soil over a period of several months. The best part is that they’re easy to plant, take off fast and you’re not left with any pots to throw away.

Available in several sizes and shapes, straw pots are also popular this season and make gardening easy and earth-friendly. What makes them great is that they’re made from completely sustainable materials and use bi-products that would normally be disposed of by burning, causing damage to the ozone. All you have to do is plant them directly in the soil with no fuss or waste, and they decompose within three to six months to form soil-enriching compost.