Using more environmentally-conscious methods in daily life can help reduce your carbon footprint and possibly slow down the effects of climate change.
Eco-friendly backyard gardening ideas offer some of the easiest ways to green your routine.
Let’s dig into how to make your gardening better for the environment and why you should.
Why Should I Explore Eco-Friendly Backyard Gardening Ideas?
There is widespread agreement in the scientific community that climate change is real, that humankind has impacted its course, and is happening now.
You can make a difference in how the future plays out by improving sustainability practices around your home.
What Makes Backyard Gardening Ideas Eco-Friendly?
The backyard gardening ideas here have one or more qualities that make them eco-friendly.
They may:
- Reduce reliance on utilities
- Help conserve natural resources
- Provide food for your table
- Support native wildlife
Some of them have multiple benefits.
Are Eco-Friendly Gardening Projects More Expensive than Non-Green Ones?
Despite what many people believe, it doesn’t cost any more to implement many natural backyard gardening ideas than it does to do things conventionally.
You may be surprised that some eco-friendly choices, like using homemade compost versus buying commercial fertilizer, actually cost less.
7 Eco-Friendly Backyard Gardening Ideas to Try
Now that you know more about how eco-friendly gardening plays a role in household sustainability efforts let’s look at a few practices that can make a big difference.
The following seven backyard gardening ideas can be taken on by anyone, regardless of existing gardening skills.
Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and get started on your very own green backyard oasis.
1. Start a Compost Bin
Compost is sometimes called black gold, and for a good reason.
First, compost is multi-purpose.
It can be used to condition soil, fertilize, and reduce the need for watering.
Additionally, you can use food scraps and landscape clippings that would have otherwise gone to waste.
It is simple to get started and makes composting an even more attractive backyard gardening idea.
You have several options for a backyard composter.
Pre-made units are simple and can accommodate a range of scraps.
However, they can be pricey.
On the other hand, you can make a cheap homemade composter in a day with some scrap lumber and a piece of leftover fencing.
Both will get the job done, but one may look better while doing it.
2. Plant a Pollinator Garden
Many flowering plants must get pollen from an outside source to produce fruit, seeds, and nuts.
Pollinators do the vast majority of this.
While bees are probably the most well-recognized pollinators, flies are also common.
You may also recognize butterflies flitting from flower to flower.
Supporting pollinators is more important now than ever before.
The decline of specific insect populations, such as bees and monarch butterflies, can often be traced to a lack of food sources.
Specially designed pollinator gardens aim to remove this barrier by creating natural areas where these valuable insects have access to their favorite plants and nectars, making them the most beneficial backyard gardening ideas ever.
3. Grow Plants You Can Eat
Another great way to increase your household’s sustainability and food independence is to grow things you can eat.
You can find many different fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow.
When properly preserved and stored, they’ll provide fresh food from your yard all or most of the year.
Crops like summer squash, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions are simple to grow if you are new to vegetable gardening.
4. Remove Solid Ground Surfaces
Concrete patios and walkways may be typical outdoor surfaces, but they are generally not an eco-conscious choice.
Non-permeable materials like concrete and stone do not allow rainwater to pass through, preventing precipitation from reaching the water table.
Look to more sustainable hardscape materials like mulch or urbanite instead.
If you are looking for eco-friendly backyard gardening ideas that incorporate solid surfaces, try to keep them elevated so they can serve double duty.
For example, ground-mounted solar panels make excellent shade for sun-sensitive plants while providing your home with an uninterrupted and eco-conscious power supply.
5. Replace Lawns with Native Plants
Despite their widespread appeal to American homeowners, most lawns are not an eco-friendly landscape choice.
They require a considerable input of resources to grow, including:
- Water
- Fertilizer
- Pesticide
- Selective herbicides
These can all contribute to environmental degradation and potentially harm groundwater supplies.
Native plants, on the other hand, are ideally suited to your climate conditions and require very little care.
6. Install a Living Windbreak
If you are looking for backyard gardening ideas that can help reduce your home utility use, look no further than natural windbreaks.
According to the US Department of Energy, a properly designed windbreak can help cut home heating costs by reducing the windchill surrounding your home.
7. Add a Water Feature
Water features can be almost anything, and you can incorporate them into your gardens with an eye toward resource conservation.
For example, a small rainwater-supported pond can serve as a vital water source for wildlife.
The gentle sound of water is calming and can make your backyard more enjoyable.
Turn Your Yard into a Green Oasis with Backyard Gardening Ideas
Luckily, there are many ways to make your home and yard an attractive and sustainable haven.
We have put together this list of eco-friendly backyard gardening ideas to help you turn your yard into a private green-friendly oasis.
Whether you want to get started with composting, reduce household energy use with windbreaks, provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife, or use a custom-designed solar array as shade for your garden, we are here for you.
Contact us for more information about how we can help you transition toward a more sustainable lifestyle!
