Here are easy eco friendly gardening tips to prepare your garden for winter.   Easy tips for going green can start in your garden.  Following organic and sustainable gardening practices will be beneficial for your garden, the critters, your health, the planet and your pocket book!

One of the benefits of sustainable, organic gardening is the connection to the land, to the living and growing organisms, and to a more natural existence.  It is working WITH Nature, not against it and viewing the garden as a small component of the natural system, an ecological community.

Forget about the typical fall clean up.  Environmentally friendly gardening means you avoid gasoline-operated leaf blowers, avoid throwing away your leaves and putting them in plastic bags to send them to the dump.  Instead, you work with Nature by leaving leaves where they fall in your garden beds, rake the leaves from your grass and place them in your beds and/or your compost.  Leaves and garden waste are biodegradable and you can easily recycle them back into your garden soil to feed the microbes, who in turn, feed your soil.

Organic gardening recycles the leaves, twigs and other plant material back into the soil; it feeds the microbes, which are the soil’s maintenance crew.  In contrast, conventional gardening sees plant debris (fall leaves, twigs, other organic matter) as waste to be removed from the garden; it uses synthetic fertilizers, which only feed the plants, not the soil, and disrupt the soil’s integrity (biological, ecological, chemical, etc.).

The focus is on healthy soil; building the soil with organic matter (compost, grass clippings, straw, seaweed, conifer needles and cones, shredded or whole leaves, twigs) which feeds the plants.  Adding organic matter attracts soil organisms, creates nutrients in the soil and improves any soil’s texture.  Compost and mulches are used to nourish the soil and microbes, prevent erosion, conserve water, supress weeds and moderate soil temperature.  This is the way to have an eco friendly garden.

Marisa

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Eco Friendly Garden Options

If you are wondering how to create an eco-friendly garden or do sustainable gardening at home, first, you want to start by knowing your options.  One of the best ways to reduce your carbon foot print is to try your hand at gardening.  If you have never gardened, there are a plethora of options available to you, such as:

• Container Gardening *
• Square Foot Gardening *
• Indoor Gardening *
• No Dig Gardening/ No Till Gardening
• Water Gardening
• Community Gardening*
• Roof-Top Gardening*
• Hydroponics*
• Raised Bed Gardening

*Are you living in a small space like an apartment, condo, etc. and wonder how you could possibly garden?  All of these choices (with asterisks) are viable options for you.  If you have more space, you can implement any of these types of gardens.

Where Do I Start?

• First, get excited!  Gardening is a lot of fun and a great way to get connected with nature.

• Next, determine what type(s) of gardening will work best for your environment.  (Click on any of the links above to help you decide).

• Investigate your climate and find out what grows best in your area of the world or if you are doing indoor gardening you have room to experiment a little.

• Your plants will need appropriate lighting.  This means if you’re setting up outside, choose a sunny location.  The same is true for indoors, but you may supplement sunshine with the proper indoor plant lighting.

• Create the appropriate soil mix using at least 1/3 compost from various compost sources.

• Get your space ready.  You may need containers, compost materials, or you may need to build your growing spaces.  There is a lot of room for creativity here.  Many containers can be used…anything from a juice pouch to an old coffee can.  Just make sure you have adequate drainage.

• Get your seeds and/or plants and start planting.  Remember two simple rules:  Grow what you eat and eat what you grow.

• Say “No, no, no!” to pesticides, herbicides or chemicals.  You can grow healthier, safer food without chemicals.

• Watch and water.  Watching a new life sprouting is amazing, spend time getting to know your plants and garden.  Water in the early morning or later in the evening because you more of the water will get to the plant rather that evaporate and if you drip water on the leaves it will not burn them.  If you can, use saved rainwater or dirty aquarium water before reaching for the hose.

• Share!  Remember, we are surrounded by wildlife and some critters may want a nibble of your plants; it is part of the balance of nature.  You can use ways to hinder their attempts such as having growing space that are higher off the ground, blocking off your plants, etc., but you should never use poison or toxins to keep them away.

• Reap the rewards and delight in your accomplishments.  If you have more than you can use, donate to local shelters, give to neighbors, or preserve or freeze what you have for later.

• Lastly, don’t give up!  Sometimes Mother Nature has a different plan and sometimes insects or weather factor in to how well you are able to grow your plants.  If you’re not a success the first time, stick with it or contact a local community farm and get support!

An eco friendly garden can provide you with fabulous benefits such as improving your health (it is good exercise), reduce stress levels, save you money, put a smile on your face and create an understanding between yourself and nature.

Marisa

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