How to Have an Ecologically Friendly Garden
You do not need to install solar panels, grow all your food, or invent a revolutionary energy-saving device to be an earth-friendly citizen. Being one starts at your lawn. Here are some ways on how to make your front yard ecologically friendly.
Start by planting a tree, which serves two purposes. One, it provides shade during the summer, cooling down your house's interior and reducing your electric bills for air-conditioning. Second, it acts as an effective wind barrier during winter, protecting your home from cold spells and lessening your fuel consumption for heating.
Next, use native plants for your vegetation. Indigenous flora have already adapted to the local environment and demand less maintenance. They also require less water and harbour local organisms that are beneficial to them.
Concentrate on using perennials, which are plants that live for a year or more. With foliage that survives a long time, you do not have to purchase new vegetation every year to replace them. Furthermore, frequent replanting erodes your healthy topsoil. Since perennials last longer, you do not need to replant often, saving your garden's precious loam.
Instead of using chemical fertilisers, use organic compost. This substance provides the right balance of nutrients and organisms to maintain your soil's nutritive value. Chemical fertilisers, on the other hand, are usually too harsh. Furthermore, they can seep into the ground and contaminate the water table below.
Finally, stop using chemical pesticides. These are toxic substances that pose a threat to animals, people, and the environment itself. Just like chemical fertilisers, they can pollute the water table under the ground. Instead, use diatomaceous earth to kill insects, pour boiling water on weeds, or use beer to draw out snails and slugs.
