There’s nothing quite like spending time in your backyard. Whether it’s cooking up a storm on the BBQ, playing cricket with the kids, enjoying a beer or doing some gardening, having a lovely yard is part of enjoying life in the great outdoors. And those with beautiful gardens are truly blessed, as it’s all ready to enjoy.

But what if you have a garden that is in dire need of some landscaping in order to reach its full potential? Whether you go the DIY route or engage a professional landscape gardening company, it’s an effort to make your garden presentable if it needs some TLC.

And in this day and age, it makes sense to approach your garden landscaping with a conscious effort to reduce the carbon footprint of your outdoor space. But how exactly do you go about this? Lucky for you, this helpful article will share some essential tips you can utilize to make your garden makeover project eco-friendly. Continue reading to learn all of our top tips and tricks for designing a garden with a lower carbon footprint.

Use Local Suppliers

When it comes to reducing your home’s carbon footprint, securing locally sourced materials and products is key. You might want to partner with a local fencing supplier to supply and install your new fence to border your garden. You can count on a higher level of build quality by buying locally, as local fencing suppliers are more likely to stock fencing materials that are designed specifically for local climatic conditions.

Secondly, if you use imported fencing materials it may significantly increase your carbon footprint for your landscaping project. The international shipping supply chain consumes energy on a mammoth scale, particularly when you’re relying on fossil-fueled cargo ships to import your fencing supplies from another country.

Also, by engaging a local fencing supplier that keeps their supply chain domestic rather than international, you’re already doing your part to create a sustainable garden by reducing the carbon emissions required to install your fencing. When sourcing quotes, check if your supplier/installer uses locally sourced and manufactured fencing products before you hire them to build your garden fence.

The same applies to all other materials you use in your landscaping project. By buying and sourcing locally, you’re doing your part to reduce global warming and can rest assured that your landscaping project is sustainable and good for the earth.

Use Mulch on Your Garden Beds

When it comes to building your garden beds, in addition to using locally sourced materials to construct them, once they’re built, you should lay down a layer of organic, locally sourced mulch. Mulch offers a range of benefits for your garden. It will reduce the amount of water you need to keep your plants alive, as mulch helps your soil to retain water and keep your plants healthy.

It will also prevent noxious weeds from growing, thereby both reducing the amount of time you need to spend weeding your garden and preventing the use of harsh weed killers that you might be tempted to resort to otherwise.

And arguably, the best thing about mulch is that you can make it on your own! Just like you can make your own compost or fertilizer with nothing but a compost bin and weekly household fruit and veg scraps, you can produce your very own nutrient-rich mulch by simply collecting tree branches, bark, and plant trimmings from around your garden. Once that’s done, just chop up all your findings finely or run it all through a wood chipper for instant mulch.

Plant Drought Tolerant Plants

One way you can reduce the carbon footprint of your landscaping project and create an effortlessly eco-friendly garden is by opting for drought-tolerant shrubs and plants. This is an excellent way to reduce your water usage and boost your garden’s sustainability rating at the same time.

Certain native grasses and shrubs are inherently drought-resistant as they’ve evolved to thrive in harsher climate conditions or even seasonal weather extremes. Certain plants from Mediterranean areas have also adapted to endure long periods without water. For instance, roses, olives and geraniums are excellent for this reason.

Some other sustainable landscaping tips worth considering include choosing gray or thick-leaved plants, which are naturally water-efficient and will require less water. The less water you use, the more sustainable your garden is.

Swap out the Boring Lawn for Some Shrubs and Flowers

As tempting and inviting as a full green lawn looks, a healthy green lawn will require a lot of water, time and maintenance to keep it looking the best. In addition, fertilizer and frequent watering will be required, which doesn’t make a large ornamental lawn the most environmentally friendly feature of your garden. A more sustainable landscaping method is to lose the lawn completely and landscape the area with either ornamental grass, low-growing shrubs or some easy-to-maintain groundcovers. One idea is to plant some lovely wildflowers instead, which will bloom and have your garden looking spectacular.

A Landscaping Sustainable Summary

This helpful article has shared all about making your garden landscaping makeover project more sustainable and lowering your carbon footprint. Follow these tips for an amazing-looking garden that won’t compromise your values, and you can rest assured that you’re doing your piece for the planet.