National Garden Month

April 1st, 2010 BY dalgal | 1 Comment

Every April is National Garden month. Instead of sitting back and just looking at your garden how about taking steps to green up your gardening? Here are some tips to help you on your way to making your garden more eco-friendly.

Go Organic
Instead of reaching for the herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers instead opt for organic alternatives. Encourage natural predator bugs into your garden. Ditch those chemicals and go green with organic compost tea, chemical free store bought alternatives and natural solutions. Organically raised plants and seeds are also available so check out your local farms, garden centers or seed catalogues for organic options.

Compost happens
Now is a good time to look into composting if you aren’t already. Homemade compost is GREAT for the garden and so easy to make. Whether you just have a natural pile, an enclosed compost area, a tumbler or you delve into vermicomposting it’s a great way to reduce your household waste and make something beneficial for your garden.

Reduce your lawn
The largest crop grown in the USA isn’t even food, it’s lawn. Yep grass is the most prolific crop in the USA, which considering we can’t eat it, or don’t let animals graze on it is a pretty ridiculous statistic. If you’re reluctant to remove your lawn completely (some Cities even have laws regarding the % of land that must be lawn on a property) then consider reducing the lawn size. Remember every step we take towards reducing our global footprint helps, and you’ll save time too when it comes to cutting it.

Tools
Ditch the plastics and look for sturdy metal tools. When it comes to tools quality should come first and that means paying more for better quality, and taking care of those tools. Instead of that gas powered mower why not try a man powered push mower instead? These push powered mowers are having a resurgence with the green movement but check Craigslist and Freecycle too for freebies or bargains.

Xeriscaping
Opt for gardening with plants that are native to your local area and therefore suitable for your climate. This not only is better for your local wildlife by promoting native species but it’s also better for the environment as it also saves water and energy.