10 Ways to Make Your Garden More Eco-Friendly
If you're growing a garden, you probably already have sustainability on your mind. After all, our own backyards are the perfect place to start thinking about how our everyday choices impact the planet. Whether you have acres to cultivate, a small raised bed in the backyard or a few planters on the patio, there are plenty of small steps you can take to make a difference and reduce your environmental impact in the garden.
From choosing the right plants to using nontoxic pesticides, practicing water conservation and more, here are 10 ways to make your garden a little greener this growing season.
2. Plant to Attract Pollinators
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pollinators are vital to the reproductive success of more than 75% of the world’s flowering plants, including over 150 common food crops in the United States. Most plants depend on pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds to move pollen from flower to flower, which pollinates the plants and allows them to produce more seeds and fruits. But due to habitat loss, misuse of pesticides and disease, the world’s pollinator populations are in decline.
However, there are steps you can take to both protect pollinators and attract them to your garden:
- Plant a variety of native flowering plants that bloom at different times to provide nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season.
- Plant in clumps rather than single plants to attract more pollinators.
- Provide habitats for pollinator nesting and egg-laying such as shrubs, tall grasses, patches of fallen branches or bee nesting blocks.
- Limit pesticide use or switch to a pesticide that is least toxic to non-pest species.
- Provide nectar for hummingbirds.