🌿🌸 Sustainable Gardening Tips for you to Action Now🌸🌿
With the RHS Flower Show and event season in full swing, here’s some handy tips to help you make more sustainable choices in the garden this summer. 🌞🌱
Whether you’re caring for raised beds, pots on a balcony, a colourful window box or nurturing seedlings on a sunny windowsill, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about how we garden – not just what we grow. Even the smallest changes can have a big impact on the environment. 🌍💚
Here are some simple, low-cost ways to get started:
🌱 Compost your kitchen waste
Don’t throw away your food scraps – compost them! Fruit and veg peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells and more can all be turned into nutrient-rich compost that your plants will love. It’s a great way to reduce household waste and give back to the soil.
🌻 Plant for pollinators
Bees, butterflies and other pollinators play a crucial role in the ecosystem. Help them thrive by planting nectar-rich flowers such as lavender, foxgloves, and alliums. Try to have something in bloom from early spring to late autumn to keep them well fed year-round. Build a flower bed or if you have any spare plant pots, sprinkle some wildflower seeds and watch them bloom!
🥕 Grow your own edibles
Whether it’s a windowsill herb garden or a full veg patch, growing your own food reduces food miles and packaging waste. Plus, there’s nothing more satisfying than eating something you’ve grown yourself – from cherry tomatoes to crunchy carrots!
💐 Grow your own bunches
Ditch imported flowers and grow your own beautiful blooms for vases and gifts. Sweet peas, cosmos, dahlias and sunflowers are all excellent choices that add colour and fragrance to your garden while cutting down on transport emissions.
🌾 Go peat-free
Peat extraction harms vital habitats and releases carbon into the atmosphere. Choose peat-free compost instead – it’s just as effective and much better for the planet. Look for products clearly labelled “peat-free” when shopping.
🚫 Go plastic-free
Swap out single-use plastics for reusable alternatives. Reuse plant pots, avoid plastic seed trays where possible, and opt for tools and accessories made from metal, wood, or recycled materials. Every little bit helps reduce plastic pollution.
💦 Water wisely
Be water-smart by collecting rainwater in a water butt and watering early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation. Using mulch around plants can also help the soil retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.
🏨 Build a bug hotel
Create a cosy habitat for beneficial insects like ladybirds, solitary bees and lacewings. Stack up some twigs, pinecones, hollow canes or bits of bark in a sheltered corner of your garden to give them a safe place to rest and breed.
⚡ Go electric
Switch to electric or battery-powered garden tools instead of petrol ones to cut down on noise and emissions. Better still, choose manual tools where practical – a good old-fashioned push mower or hand weeder does the job nicely!
🧪 Test your soil
Knowing your soil type can help you choose the right plants and avoid overusing fertilisers. Simple soil testing kits are widely available and can give you helpful insight into your garden’s pH and nutrient levels.
🐸 Build a pond
Even a small pond or water feature can become a haven for frogs, dragonflies and birds. It adds biodiversity to your space and can help support wildlife in your local area, especially during dry summer months.
No matter how big or small your outdoor space, you can play a part in making gardening more sustainable this summer 🌞💚
We are here and ready to help in any way we can. 🧑💼
☎️ Call: 01474 321957
📧 Email: sarah@mandmprop.co.uk