8
Ways to Green 8
Ways to Green by
Trey Granger on June 23rd, 2008, Earth911.com
Summer is a great opportunity to spend time in the garden. Sunny days provide nice weather and extra daylight. School is out so you’ve got extra potential workers. The ground is fertile from springtime rain. Your garden may seem very green by definition. But here’s a few ways to reduce the impact your garden has on the environment as a whole.
In a perfect
world, you could grow cactus in a tundra climate and a lawn of Bermuda grass in
the desert. Guess what? Plants don’t work that way. Before you start growing
something, do some research to see what it needs to survive in your area.
Otherwise, you may end up using lots of water and other resources to have
“something different” in your backyard.
Like it or
not, some of the water meant for your plants will evaporate before it reaches
the soil. This is compounded on a hot day. Watering in (or setting your
sprinkler timer for) the morning can save 50
gallons of water a week.
Other good
water saving tips:
Soil and
fertilizer are expensive, so why not make your own? Take organic waste from your
kitchen (fruit/vegetable peels, egg shells) and mix with yard waste (leaves,
flowers) and water. The result is compost,
which is rich in nutrients and will help your plants grow.
You may not
want to buy underwear used, but how about a shovel or wheelbarrow? Look for
these items at garage sales and thrift shops before buying a new one. If you do
buy new, ask if the products come with a warranty so they will last you a long
time.
Plants die,
but pots rarely do. Save the pot and soil if one of your plants expires. You can
even create your own pots by drilling a hole in old butter containers or
flipping over a drum. If a pot breaks, you can usually glue it back together
with no loss of quality.
One of the
least fun tasks of mowing the lawn is picking up the scraps. It’s actually
beneficial to your garden to leave them there. The grass clippings will provide
nutrients to the remaining yard as they decompose. Plus, you’ll have one less
plastic bag to dispose of.
If you decide
that composting isn’t for you and you enjoy picking up grass clippings,
definitely recycle your yard waste. This material takes longer to decompose in a
landfill when buried under a pile of plastic. Plus, if your local community
accepts yard waste you may be able to exchange it for compost to use in your
garden. Recycle yard waste using
Earth 911.
Pests can
wreak havoc on your garden. But you don’t need pesticides to keep them away.
Pesticides harm all kinds of living things, including humans. Plus, they can be
easily transferred into natural bodies of water and our water treatment systems
are not designed to remove pesticides.
You can plant
natural pest repellants like chrysanthemums and marigolds nearby. Learn other
ways to practice
integrated pest management.
This
story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight
ways to green your life in various areas. Click here to see Earth 911’s
“Green Eight” archive. 8 Ways to Green
Your Garden online article http://earth911.org/blog/2008/06/23/8-ways-to-green-your-garden/