It’s summertime and that means we are spending more time outdoors. Now is a great time to get your lawn and garden in shape. Create a sustainable garden (or lawn) with these money-saving tips.
Creating a sustainable garden lets you to bring nature into your home. No matter the size, your garden can reduce waste and create a minimal footprint that is buzzing with life.
Create and maintain a climate-resilient eco-friendly yard
Create a climate-friendly landscape design using native plants or climate-appropriate plants. Native plants are ideally suited to designing a landscape for water efficiency because they’ve adapted to their local soil and their roots are adjusted to the natural weather patterns.
Consider low-water-use landscape and planting trees or high-growing plants for shade, which help to conserve water. You can even create a rain barrel to collect water for plants and grasses. Benefits include cost savings on water bills, improved health for plants and reduced likelihood of flooding or erosion.
When cutting your grass, use a mulching mower to recycle key nutrients back to your lawn and reduce waste. Utilize local nurseries, garden centers and landscape professionals to assist you in developing your plan.
Be sure to plant for pollinators—bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, flies and beetles. Pollinators are critical to our food supply and are attracted to different colors. Choose plants that flower in different seasons to enjoy blooms while also providing nectar and pollen year-round. You can also plant flowers that bloom at night for evening foragers.
Grow your own food
The most cost-effective way to grow your own food is to start with seeds. A small garden can lead to big cost savings. Research or check with your local garden center to find out what fruits and vegetables grow well in your area. Be sure to use native and organic soils when planting.
You may also want to consider buying seeds from companies that harvest seeds from crops grown organically. Pro tip: Save seeds from your harvest for next year’s crop.
Use planter boxes, or raised beds, to grow your crop. Growing vegetables in raised boxes is easy and cuts down on weeding and watering. For smaller yards, container gardens have many benefits, including space efficiency and protection against disease and pests that are common in plants planted in the ground.
Use battery-powered tools
Battery-powered equipment (cordless) is the biggest trend in the outdoor power equipment industry. These tools are a great alternative to gas-powered equipment. Using battery-operated tools eliminates exhaust emission concerns and gas spills from refueling. Cordless machines are quiet, so you won’t disturb the neighbors or wildlife. And these tools are lightweight and easy to operate.