Top tips for eco-friendly gardening

2 Minute Read

Whether your garden is big or small there are always ways to make your garden an environmentally friendly space, regardless of your experience level. Here are our top tips on becoming more eco friendly in the garden.

Why is eco-friendly gardening important?

Go native

One of the simplest ways of encouraging beneficial insects and wildlife into the garden is to ensure its full of as many native plants and trees as possible. Not only will these plants attract pollinators but they're also simple and easy to grow and care for.

You can also choose plants that are drought-resistant, which is helpful if you live in a part of the country which is much, much drier in the summer months.

find out more about tree and shrub planting

Let it grow

If you're not ready to take the leap into letting your garden grow wild and overgrown, why not consider a smaller section within the garden to encourage more wildlife and letting it take over. You may also be surprised at some of the plants that appear if you normally keep your garden neat and tidy!

Grow your own

Growing your own is not only cheaper and tastes better but it also helps you to reduce your impact on the environment. Plus who doesn't love being able to say "I grew this" when plating up a delicious meal using your homegrown veggies or displayong your beautiful blooms?

There are plenty of flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs you can grow in containers if you have limited space, all you need are pots, sunlight and a bit of TLC.

find out more about growing plants from seeds

Make your own compost

Starting your own compost heap/pile is something everyone with an outdoor space can do to improve their gardens environmental factor, even if you don't have a garden, there are plenty of smaller compost turners that don't take up precious outdoor space. The worms will thank you!

You could even take this a step further and reduce even more waste by bagging up fallen leaves in the autumn to make your own fertiliser out of leaf mould or by leaving your grass cuttings to naturally break down on the lawn after mowing!

find out more about starting a compost heap

Biodegradable or recyclable pots

Biodegradable and fibre pots are a wonderful way of upping your eco gardening game. The added benefit of using fibre pots (usually made from wood pulp obtained from renewable sources) is that these pots reduce root disturbance and also break down when planted out.

Tupperware, yoghurt pots and food containers destined for the recycling bin make great alternatives and won't cost the earth (or your wallet!).

TGS tip:Take recycling a step further and reuse eggshells to plant smaller seeds within, add some compost, plant your seeds and away you go!

We've got a wide range of biodegradable pots available, including vipots and jiffy pots.

SHOP BIODEGRADABLE POTS

Organic pest control

Beneficial insects are the natural way to wage war on pests without using chemicals. These beneficial insects will happily eat pests that are munching on your plants such as caterpillars, aphids, mites, etc and serve no danger to pets, people or the garden!

We've got a wide range of organic pest control options for you to incorporate into your garden or plot.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ORGANIC PEST CONTROL

Conserve water

To become more eco friendly in the garden the goal is to try to use more natural resources, this includes water. Setting up a water butt to collect rainwater is a helpful way to reduce consumption.

During the warmer months where rain is scarce, 'grey water' (collected from baths, showers or after washing up) can be used to tide plants over - as long as it doesn't contain chemical cleaning products such as bleach or disinfectants, grey water is perfectly safe to use on your plants.

Feed the birds

By feeding birds during the colder months, you are ensuring they have a source of food when their usual diet is relatively scarce, in the summer months they'll be more than happy feasting on the pests that would usually munch on your plants. It's a win-win!

SHOP BIRD SEED & FEEDERS

Eco-friendly products

With an increasing number of peat-free compost options available, there is hope that many growers and gardeners can continue to make the switch towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. if you haven't already, why not make the switch to peat-free this gardening season?

Here at Expert Garden Supplies, we stock a wide range of eco-friendly products, from peat-free compost and organic fertilisers to biodegradable pots, giving you the option when it comes to your garden.

Take a look at some of our most popular eco-friendly products below!