According to the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, scientists estimate that the UK has lost half its biodiversity since the Industrial Revolution. Lower biodiversity affects our water supply and makes our food supply more susceptible to disease and pests. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to address this issue.
Eco friendly garden design involves characteristics that support the environment, like adding water-saving features or using recycled materials. Features like these can help people adopt sustainable gardening practices to create an eco friendly garden, but what is an eco friendly garden and why does it matter?
An eco friendly garden is an outside space which supports the environment. These spaces are created with eco friendly garden design in mind. These practices aim to lower environmental impact and encourage a healthy ecosystem within a garden.
With 87% of UK households having a garden, creating a sustainable garden is a great way to support the environment! Here are some eco friendly garden design ideas for you to consider.
1. Think About Garden Materials
Garden design choices can affect the environment, just as much as gardening practices can. Hard landscaping, particularly new materials sourced from other countries, can have a large carbon footprint.
Bricks can add 244 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilogram that’s produced, while cement from concrete can create around a kilogram of carbon dioxide for every kilogram that’s produced.
An eco friendly garden can still have paths and patios, but it’s best to keep these in small numbers. Opt for materials like natural stone, which was found to have a 74% lower Global Warming Potential compared to large ceramic tiles. Recycled materials, like reclaimed stone slabs, also work well to create outdoor space features.
Try and buy locally, as this reduces the large carbon footprint linked with transporting heavy materials. Using reclaimed or second-hand materials from salvage yards, or working with materials you already have in your garden are sustainable practices, as this lowers the carbon footprint and cost of purchasing new materials.
An eco-friendly garden can still have paths and patios, but it’s best to keep these in small numbers. Opt for recycled materials like natural stone, which was found to have a 74% lower Global Warming Potential compared to ceramic tiles.
2. Add A Compost Space
Adding a compost space to your garden design is a great eco friendly garden design practice. Other than being free, compost gives you a low-maintenance outlet for household waste and saves you trips to local gardening stores.
To add a compost space to your garden, find a shady area that has a water source close to it. You’ll need to create a compost bin from a durable material. Wood may be strong, but timber can rot as time goes on. Composite decking boards used for planters are good for compost bins, as they’re strong and won’t degrade easily.
Making compost is easy, as you can use a variety of organic green materials and household waste. Good examples include grass cuttings, old cardboard, foliage, or eggshells. Make sure that the contents are only 100% organic matter.
Never add contaminated substances, like diseased plant parts, pet waste, or pesticide-treated garden waste to your compost. You should also avoid adding food like oil, dairy, or meat, as this can draw pests to your garden.
Other than being free, compost gives you a low-maintenance outlet for household waste and saves you trips to local gardening stores.
3. Add A Garden Trellis
Garden trellises aren’t just beautiful design ideas, they can help your garden become more sustainable overall. These latticed additions give climbing plants support to grow, promoting better air circulation and vertical growth.
Through using vertical space, a garden trellis allows you to add to your garden without modifying the land. This supports biodiversity and saves your current soil structure, which is great for adding to smaller gardens with less space.
A trellis can also help make garden maintenance easier. Improved air circulation helps prevent plant disease, which means you won’t have to use harmful pesticides within your garden.
If you’re unsure about where a trellis, or other garden features, would work best in your space, Raine Garden Design can help.
With many of experience in the industry, our team can help you create a eco friendly garden design plan. Raine will ensure that everything you want to include in your garden, like a trellis, seating area, or pergola, works with your desired garden style.
Get in touch with a member of our team today to find out more.
Through vertical space, a garden trellis allows you to add to your garden without making significant changes to your present land. This is great for smaller gardens with less space.
4. Add Water Saving Features
Water is a precious resource, so it’s important to conserve water wherever possible. Eco-friendly gardens often have features that collect water. Large containers or water butts are ideal for collecting rainwater, which you can use to water plants, clean bikes, or top up shallow ponds later.
Other eco friendly garden design features that save water are harvesting systems. These collect grey water, which is wastewater from household sources, like showers. This excludes contaminated water from toilets or dishwashers. Harvesting systems store grey water for reuse, so you can use it for non-drinking purposes.
If you’re considering adding a harvesting system to your garden design, check the costs linked with running the system. Systems like these can use lots of energy, which might invalidate their environmental benefits.
Eco-friendly gardens often have features that collect water. Large containers or water butts are ideal for collecting rainwater, which you can use to water plants, clean bikes, or top up shallow ponds.
5. Plant Wildlife-Friendly Plants
Selecting the best plants for your garden and its wildlife can help you create a nature-friendly space.
Figure out whether your garden is in a sunny or shaded location, as well as what type of soil you have. Is your soil dry, wet, sandy, or clay-like? Many plants prefer specific light and soil conditions. Work out what plants grow best in your local climate, then add them to your garden.
If you decide to remove a plant from your current garden, consider whether removing it will affect the wildlife that’s in your garden. If you plan on replacing it, will the new plant bring the same amount of wildlife to your space? If not, it’s probably best to leave it be.
Some plants take a few years to grow fully, but if you want to see instant results, look for flowers and shrubs that grow quickly. With any luck, you’ll notice pollinators like bees, birds, and insects around the space, which are signs of an eco-friendly garden!
If you plan on replacing plants in your garden, consider whether the new plant will bring the same amount, or more wildlife to your space. If not, it’s probably best to leave it be.
There we have it! We hope this post helped answer what is an eco friendly garden and given you some eco friendly garden design ideas.
At Raine Garden Design, our award-winning designer, Raine, has over 23 years of experience in landscape design and an in-depth understanding of the design and construction process.
To learn more about our garden design services at Raine Garden Design, get in touch at studio@rainegardendesign.co.uk or on 07702 042559.
