Tips for an eco-friendly backyard

Landscaping your yard is a challenging, but also very enjoyable task. You want to make an important part of your home as pleasant and useful as possible and the opportunities are almost limitless.

It would be a shame to miss the chance to turn your backyard into a space where you and your family and friends could spend a lot of quality time, so you have to plan any landscaping project very carefully.

Another important thing you shouldn’t forget is that you need to make your backyard as green as possible, but not only when it comes to having a big lawn. Eco-friendliness is something we should all strive to achieve in our lives and the backyard is no exception. Here are some tips that should help you reduce wasting energy and resources, but still create the space of your dreams.

Choosing plants

The first item on the list should be plants. It’s always the best idea to go for native plants, since they are adapted to the environment where you live. Try to go local and select those plants that are known to thrive in your region.

If you are not sure what those plants are, consult an expert so that you avoid planting aggressive or invasive plants. If you really want to go green, opt for a landscape hedge, since it provides wildlife habitat.

Reuse materials

Instead of buying new materials, first check if you can recycle or reuse natural materials that you have or that are available locally. There are bound to be bricks, stones or concrete pieces, for examples, that you can use in your backyard. If you are thinking about having a fence or deck, consider using recycled plastic or some sustainably harvested material.

Be responsible with water

One of the most precious resources you should preserve is definitely water. Try to water your lawn as rarely as possible, even in the summer. However, when you water it, make sure it’s a deep soaking, so that the roots can develop properly, and the lawn can become more resistant to drought.

Also, try to exploit rainwater for watering. You can get inexpensive rain barrels where you can keep the rainwater runoff from the roof of your home or one of many garages built by Best Sheds. Finally, organic mulch is a very good option around trees and in garden beds, since it keeps the soil moist and prevents weeding.

Avoid chemicals as much as possible

You don’t want to pollute the soil in your backyard using chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. In order to minimize soil pollution, you first need to test the soil and see what kind of nutrients it requires. Perhaps you don’t need to add any chemicals, but use compost or organic materials to improve its quality.

Minimize fuel consumption

You are probably aware that emissions from lawnmowers, chain saws and other equipment are detrimental to the environment. So, you should cut back on such fuel emissions. To do that, you can switch from gasoline-burning machines to electrical ones.

If you want to go 100% green, use manual tools, since electricity causes pollution, though lesser than gasoline. This is also a great workout, so your health will also benefit. Naturally, the bigger the lawn, the more emissions from such equipment, so try to have more low-maintenance and easy-to-look-after shrubs.

Reduce waste

Yes, it’s composting time! All the lawn waste, such as leaves and twigs can be used to create compost piles. Also, when you add all the organic waste from the house to the pile, you’ll kill two birds with one stone. You’ll have great compost that will improve the fertility of the soil and you’ll have less trash to take out.

Going green is really important. Not only because it’s good for the planet (which should be a good enough reason itself), but it can also help you save time and money. As you can see, there is no excuse for not having a nice, eco-friendly backyard just outside your home.