The 4 environmental problems with gardens
Gardens can be wildlife havens and the perfect way to spend time outdoors. However, if you’re not careful, they can also become dangerous to the environment. Whether you’re planting a garden plot in your backyard or joining the millions who plant trees around the world, here are some tips on how to go green with your garden.
What should you avoid in a garden?
1. Over-fertilization of the garden
The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers can cause severe harm to the environment. This includes the killing of both animal and plant life, which is something of a preventable problem if you know what to do. Chemical fertilizers simply cause nitrogen waste that does no good for lawns, plants, or insects. It is also dangerous for animals, who risk becoming ill or even dying from eating it. Of course, pesticides are even more harmful than fertilizer, since they prove toxic to many animals and insects.
2. Planting exotic plants
While exotic plants can seem more exciting, they do not belong in an environmentally-friendly garden. They cannot survive the winter in your area and their survival may result in a threat to the environment, including local and endangered species. In addition, they may require more watering than native plants.
3. Using treated lumber
Treated lumber, while it may be resistant to pests and fungal growths, is toxic itself. Using it in areas where you grow food or keep animals can harm them over time. In addition, it is difficult to dispose of treated lumber once it has served its purpose. Instead of using this type of wood for your garden structures or furniture, use an eco-friendly supplier to source an alternative building material such as eComposite fencing.
4. Mowing
The traditional lawn is basically a monoculture. This means that grass lawns only have one type of plant growing on them. This isn’t very good for the environment since they require large amounts of water and chemical fertilizers, plus they are wastelands for pollinators.
What you should do instead?
Here are some suggestions to help implement an environmentally-friendly garden in your yard:
Use native plants in the garden
Native species are already adapted to the local climate and predators, so you don’t need to worry about them dying off during colder months. These plants will also attract local insects who would otherwise move elsewhere in search of food or shelter.
Join no-mow May
Every year, around May all over the country, millions of people are either turning their yard or garden into a no-mow zone. This gives wildflowers on your lawn a chance to flower and provide food for important pollinators and of course, they look great.
Don’t use pesticides
Using pesticides is unnecessary since there are many non-toxic ways to keep pests away from your garden. If you have any sort of pest problem, contact your local gardening company. They will be able to help you identify the problem and get rid of it in a way that causes minimal harm to your garden and the environment.
Use trees and shrubs in your garden.
These plants are cool, beautiful, provide shade from bad weather, and also attract birds, butterflies and other animals – who need a place to live! Trees and shrubs also add aesthetic value as well as preserve an area for future generations.
The above tips are great for eco-friendly gardening. However, if you want to build an eco-friendly garden and have no idea where to start, or if the above tips didn’t fit your individual needs, contact a local gardening company. They will be able to help you create a garden that is perfect for your space and that is also good for the environment.