Now the country is enjoying some sustained sunshine, people are increasingly spending time in their gardens, indulging in al fresco dining or simply looking after flowerbeds. But did you know one of the most significant trends these days is eco-gardening? With sites like https://naturaldwellers.com/gardening/ providing all the necessary information for aspiring gardeners, everyone can pursue eco-gardening. If you haven’t been aware of this before, here’s what you need to know about giving your garden a makeover to make it environmentally-friendly.
Why eco-gardens?
The main reasons for eco-gardens are they’re beneficial for the environment. Introducing sustainability will also help your garden thrive, as well as being good for the longer-term household budget. In fact, in surveys of motivations for gardening, being aware of environmental issues is increasingly likely to come up as a reason. As people pay more attention to issues like recycling or insulating their homes, it makes sense to maintain greener attitudes outside.
Previously, amateur gardeners were perhaps dissuaded from taking their pastime beyond the level of pottering because they didn’t want to get involved in using chemicals or pesticides. But eco-gardening encourages a more holistic approach, one that is gentler and far more manageable. Growing your own will have a knock-on effect on the carbon footprint of the country as a whole.
Another strong influence has been the rise in popularity of nature programs on TV, particularly the likes of the BBC’s Springwatch, offering glimpses of the native wildlife in this country, many species of which are in serious decline. The fact that by transforming our gardens into eco-friendly micro-habitats for endangered birds, hedgehogs, amphibians, reptiles, bees or butterflies is another huge incentive to go down this route.
Avoid chemicals
The most fundamental aspect of eco-gardening is to eschew chemicals and opt for organic fertilizers. Where metaldehyde-based slug pellets were once in common use, a far greener method of getting rid of leaf-devouring pests is to use ferrous sulfate pellets. The latter is a natural ingredient and is now the bestselling type of slug control pellet.
At the same time as switching pellets, more and more gardeners are choosing organic feed ranges. It’s all about harvesting a good crop, or achieving the most colorful display of blooms, while inflicting the minimum amount of damage. This approach also encourages gardeners to invest more in the well-being of their plants. Organic feed is applied at certain of the seasons, as opposed to the previous strategy of dousing a garden in chemicals every Spring and hoping for the best.
Another factor assisting in the switch from chemical to organic is the fact plants are generally growing more robust. A wide range of vegetables, from aubergines and melons to cucumbers and peppers are able to prosper with minimal intervention.
Self-sufficiency
More people are experimenting with different vegetarian dishes, or are going all out to embrace veganism. The demand to compliment meals with beautiful and succulent vegetables is trickling down to gardens, with the ability to produce fine, home-grown plants gaining ever more prominence.
As people take more pride in their achievements, they are becoming keener to share the experiences, creating gardening diaries and blogs. This can be taken a step further by integrating aspects, such as accessories, and setting up personal shops, using tools from a TopOffers mobile affiliate network to maximize the retail power of these online micro-businesses.
In recent times, sales in vegetables are steadily climbing. In fact, a recent survey by one garden center discovered the focus on self-sufficiency was even permeating to younger gardeners, with just under half of the under-40s interviewed claiming to grow their own vegetables. This passing down of enthusiasm for gardening through the generations is a particularly encouraging aspect.
