Green Gardening – Resources for Green Living

Green gardening is where it’s at for so many these days. More and more people are recognizing its importance both for their health and that of our environment. There are so many ways to replace chemical-based fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides, these days, from relying on old methods to innovations to ensure a healthy, organic, eco-friendly garden. See the list of natural alternatives for controlling pests listed below. Starting with organic seeds is a great beginning. Container gardening is a wonderful way to get started with green gardening or for those who simply don’t have a lot of land. Vertical gardening is becoming more popular, encompassing a variety of configurations and containers stacked on top of each other that conserve space and use less water. We list many DIY projects to help and inspire home and organic gardeners on our page entitled ‘Growing Your Own Food’.

Composting is the basis of good, nutrient-rich soil on which to base a garden, especially if you know exactly what went into making that compost and controlled it well using kitchen scraps and lawn clippings, leaves, and other natural fill.

As watering is key to any garden, this aspect is also a great one to control. Using water captured in your rain barrel is a great step. Visit our page on Sourcing Water for various links to capturing water for the garden. Watering gardens and lawns during the coolest part of the day is conducive to water seeping into the ground before it evaporates. You can also design a Rain Garden that will filter and direct rainwater from rooftop water spouts or paved areas to where it can provide moisture for your garden.

Planting trees is always a good thing and helps anchor the soil, and provide shade and a home for wildlife.

Using an old-fashioned hand-pushed mower is welcome, and failing that, an electric mower is preferable to gas-powered mowers which are soon to be banned in many communities anyway. Replacing the amount of grass on your property with plants, shrubs, trees, and food sources is becoming a welcome trend and will certainly help green gardening.

A Natural Weed Killer can be made using one gallon of white vinegar, one cup of salt, and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Other methods to replace chemical herbicides include using boiling water and using heat with a flame-weeder tool.

Companion planting can help deter insects and attract pollinators by simply growing certain plants to obtain a better yield in the end. An example is planting sunflowers and marigolds that attract ladybirds, and lacewings that feed on aphids. Chives deter aphids, onions repel carrot flies, and borage helps draw black flies away from other plants. Geranium, chamomile. petunia, marjoram, and coriander, deter green shield bugs, and other garden pests. Visit our page Helping Pollinators for ways to provide an inviting, eco-friendly garden for them to visit.