Eco-Gardening: Nature & Wildlife Conservation - Right In Your Own Backyard
Backyard Habitat
The Easiest Vegetables to Grow
Gardening in an Environmentally Friendly Way
How we are managing our gardens affects the health of the soil, air, water and habitat for native wildlife - as well as the human community. Following are some sustainable gardening techniques that you can use to help conserve resources and wildlife.
Replace Invasive with Native Plants
Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment. Native plants, once established, save time and money by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, water and lawn maintenance equipment. They provide the following benefits:
- Native flowers will attract native birds
- They are stronger and more resilient to diseases
- They are easier to care for as they have adapted to your climate and soil.
- They don't require fertilizers, need fewer pesticides and are drought resistant (need less water)
- Safe Alternatives for Weed Control, Pesticides / Insecticides
- They help reduce air pollution by sequesting or removing carbon from the air.
- They provide shelter and food for wildlife
- Please also refer to: Backyard Habitat ... Attracting Wildlife
- They are more cost-effective.
- They save money as they require less water and fertilizers
- The can save you money by producing organic food. Please refer to: Forest Gardens - The Garden of the Future?
Mulching
Mulch helps keep water in the soil and available to the plant, rather than evaporating into the air. This can help you reduce your watering time. Also, as mulch breaks down, it provides nutrients to the soil. This can help reduce the need for fertilizer.
Reducing Lawn Areas and Replace with Native Plants
Lawns often require chemicals and if you used a gas-powered lawnmower, the engines in these machines are often very polluting. Since lawns are often made of only a few types of plants, they do not provide a lot of value for wildlife who benefit in ecosystems with diverse plants.
- Can't live without your lawn? Chemical-free Lawns
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is an approach to landscaping that minimizes outdoor water use while maintaining soil integrity through the use of native, drought-tolerant plants.
Rain Barrels
Rain barrels are used to collect rainwater for use during dry months. Besides helping the environment, an obvious reason for harvesting rainwater is to save money. Depending on the size of your house and the amount of rainfall in your area, you can collect a substantial amount of rainwater with a simple system.
Create a Backyard Habitat to Attract and Protect Wildlife
Build Your Own Pond - Step-by-Step Instructions
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