Calling all dedicated gardeners! It’s time to learn a few new tips to make your garden more sustainable.
Adding a few eco-friendly habits to your routine will help your garden thrive and save you money while also helping the environment. Creating a sustainable garden doesn’t mean you have to change everything in your yard.
With these few simple steps, you can easily create a sustainable, green garden that benefits the planet.
1. Collect Rainwater

Sustainable gardening is all about using the natural resources around you. Use a rain barrel to collect pure rainwater from the sky and use it for your plants.
If you don’t want to buy a barrel just yet, you can leave out large buckets during rainstorms and bottle the water in jugs or other smaller containers.
2. Use Fewer Chemicals

Protect yourself and your garden by using fewer harsh chemicals. Instead of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides, try natural alternatives. Neem oil is a go-to natural pesticide for getting rid of pesky pests without harming your plants.
To keep squirrels and rabbits at bay, use a mixture of chili powder and garlic for the ultimate natural deterrent.
3. Start Composting

Don’t be too quick to toss your kitchen and garden scraps into the trash. Your garden is a treasure trove of natural nutrient-rich food for your soil. Collect your dried leaves, grass clippings, and flowers and put them into a compost pile.
Eventually, your scraps will turn into rich nutrients and fertilizer that will make your garden thrive!
4. Plant Native Flowers

One of the best things you can do to get your garden to bloom is to plant native flowers. Native plants grow naturally in your area and provide food and shelter for regional wildlife like bees, butterflies, birds, and insects.
By allowing the wildlife to thrive, you’ll help boost the surrounding ecosystem and environment.
5. Use a Non-Gas-Powered Lawn Mower

An easy way to incorporate sustainable gardening practices into your routine is to switch to a non-gas-powered or electric lawn mower. Reel lawnmowers require a little more elbow grease to operate, but they don’t use toxic gas and are much better for the environment.
While you might still need to use a gas-powered lawn mower at times, your reel lawnmower will positively impact the environment every time you use it.
6. Try Companion Planting

Companion planting is when you plant various diverse plants together to boost their health and productivity. This will attract insects like ladybugs and beetles that keep harmful pests away and enrich the soil for a thriving garden.
Try companion planting in your yard to curate a diverse ecosystem.
7. Make Homemade Mulch

In the fall, most people are quick to rake away all of the fallen leaves in their yards or gardens. Rather than getting rid of the leaves, collect them to create homemade mulch.
Leaves are extremely beneficial for gardens as they protect soil from erosion, recycle nutrients to the trees, retain moisture in the soil, and create a safe habitat for worms and other microorganisms.
8. Use Protective Nets

Invasive pests, insects, and wildlife can be a huge pain, but fortunately, there’s an easy, non-toxic way to deal with them. Add some protective netting to your yard to keep your plants safe from invasive pests and animals that may eat or destroy your beloved plants.
It’s an organic pest control that’s great for the environment and a perfect sustainable solution.
9. Water Your Garden During Cooler Periods

The time you choose to water your garden has a major impact on its sustainability. The best time to water your garden is early morning when the weather is still cool.
Watering your garden in cooler weather gives it time to absorb into the soil and gives plants that much-needed hydration before the hot sun comes out.
10. Create a Bird-Friendly Garden

Having birds visit your plants is a major plus. They will eliminate pests and insects that will eat and damage your plants. Add bird-friendly features like bird feeders, baths, native plants, and flowers that produce nectar and seeds to attract more birds into your yard.
Your garden will thank you for creating a safe, flourishing environment for the birds.
11. Let Your Lawn Grow

While neatly manicured lawns are beautiful, they aren’t the most sustainable. They require a lot of water and constant cutting, which doesn’t benefit wildlife or the environment.
Let your lawn grow longer and welcome in the native plants that pop up. You’ll give your garden the ultimate urban homesteading aesthetic and create a cozy hub for wildlife.
12. Plant Hedges

Plant a few hedges if you need to add a few walls or fences to organize your garden. Hedges are a natural barrier that will keep your garden neat while providing wildlife with a safe habitat.
Well-kept hedges will elevate your yard, giving it that iconic luxe English lawn look that will turn people’s heads.
13. Add a Water Feature

It’s important to create a habitat for a variety of animals to create a diverse garden with a thriving ecosystem. By adding a water feature or pond to your garden, you’ll provide a safe home for reptiles like frogs and toads.
Both frogs and toads are natural pest repellents, so they’ll get rid of those insects and pests for you.
14. Use Recycled and Biodegradable Materials

Buying brand-new pots and planters for your garden may be tempting, but there’s an eco-friendly way to spruce up your yard. Pick up some used pots and planters from the thrift store for a more sustainable option.
You can also reuse your old pots and do a few DIY renovations to your garden fences, beds, and plant holders. Biodegradable plant markers are another eco-friendly option your garden will love.
15. Plant a Dry Garden

Plants that thrive in drier environments need less water and maintenance, keeping your garden eco-friendly. Flowers and plants that are resilient and can survive droughts benefit gardens and save you precious time and energy.
Some plants that can handle dry weather include lavender, coneflower, catmint, salvia, Russian sage, and the licorice plant.
16. Plant Trees

Trees are an essential part of our ecosystem and provide major benefits to our planet. They clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and other pollutants, cool areas with shade, save water and prevent soil erosion.
In planting a few trees around the yard, your garden and community will thank you for the eco-friendly addition.
17. Grow Your Own Vegetables

Try your hand at homesteading by growing your own food. Plant a sustainable vegetable garden in your yard to enjoy fresh, organic vegetables from home while helping the environment. By limiting local trips to the grocery store, you’ll be cutting out pollution from delivery emissions and packaging waste.
Add some tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and peppers to your vegetable garden before branching into more difficult crops.
18. Save Seed Heads

If you have a few flowers or plants you love and want to plant again next year, save their seeds to grow them next season. This is a simple, eco-friendly way to plant your garden while also saving yourself a few dollars. You can save seeds from perennials, vegetables, fruit, and annuals.
Be sure to properly collect and store the seeds so they last into the next season.
19. Create Shelters for Wildlife

As a sustainable gardener, it’s important to contribute to the ecosystem and help out the wildlife. By adding natural shelters to your garden, you’ll give wildlife a place to call home.
Provide a sanctuary for them by making a few tweaks to your garden. Leave log piles out for insects, install butterfly, hedgehog, or bee houses, or create a bug hotel to house insects.
20. Create Flood Barriers

There’s nothing worse than a flooded garden. It damages plants and flowers and eventually flows into street drains, contaminating rivers, lakes, and oceans. Creating natural flood barriers is important to protect your yard and keep our waters clean.
Plant plenty of trees and leafy plants that will slow water flow and filter out pollutants. You can also add bioswales that collect stormwater and slow it down.
21. Don’t Cut Your Plants Down

While you might be tempted to cut your plants down at the end of the season, letting them die off naturally is the better sustainable choice. If you have herbaceous perennials in your garden, they’ll leave seeds for wildlife to eat and provide a habitat for them in the winter months.
If you do cut your plants down, leave the prunings out for the wildlife.
22. Water Less

Along with watering your garden during the right times of the day, it’s just as important to consider how often you water it. Cut back on how regularly you water your plants for a simple, sustainable solution.
You don’t want to neglect your flowers and plants or wait for them to wilt, but cutting down your water use even slightly will positively impact the environment.
23. Plant Diverse Flowers

One of the most important decisions you’ll make about your garden is what to plant. Adding a unique group of plants and flowers to your yard will enhance your garden’s biodiversity and ward off harmful pests and diseases. Make sure to add plants and flowers that aren’t all from the same families.
You’ll end up with a beautiful, colorful garden filled with different plants that your guests will swoon over.
24. Reduce Your Lawn

If you’re not a fan of the idea of your lawn growing wild, cut back on the lawn area in your garden instead. Having less lawn to upkeep means using less water, fertilizer, and insect repellants — all steps that benefit the environment and your garden.
For a more balanced garden, plant different flowers, plants, and vegetables in areas where you would have a lawn.