What is a Sustainable Garden?

Sustainable gardening goes far beyond beautifying landscapes. It seeks to create ecosystems, reduce waste, promote biodiversity, conserve water and protect the well-being of the environment. Within this approach, gardeners make it their mission to maintain a garden that is not only beautiful but supports its long-term health and contributes to the sustainability of our communities.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the elements of a sustainable garden and offer tips and guidance to help you create your own.
Sustainable Gardening: What Is It?
Sustainable gardening is a concept that refers to eco-friendly or green gardening. It is an approach that aims to reduce the negative impact on the environment while creating a healthy, maintained and well-nourished garden.
Sustainable gardening involves practices and principles that put long-term sustainability at the highest priority whilst still maintaining a beautiful garden in the process.
What Are the Elements of a Sustainable Garden?
There are many elements to a sustainable garden, but any practice that refrains from using damaging products and encourages the use of natural alternatives is considered a sustainable gardening practice.
Reduced chemical use
Sometimes, depending on the level of pest management needed, using chemicals is necessary. However, the idea is to start with the least toxic remedy and work your way up to stronger products if needed. This means that you will only be using chemicals if they are entirely necessary rather than as your first point of call.
Water conservation
Overusing water in our gardens takes it away from our natural sources such as rivers and estuaries. These natural sources ensure the sustenance of wetland habitats for creatures such as otters and fish.
Conserving water also saves energy which is needed to filter, heat and pump water to our homes. By saving water, we can all reduce our carbon footprint.
Some top tips to help you conserve water in your garden include:
- Water your garden with a watering can rather than a hose to prevent using more than you need
- Fix leaking taps and hoses as soon as they break
- To minimise water loss due to evaporation, water your garden in the evening
- Install a water butt to collect rainwater. This can then be used to water your garden. Some councils offer discounted or even free water butts for your garden depending on where you live
- Use mulches to reduce the loss of water from your garden
Peat-free compost
Building and maintaining healthy soil is vital to sustainable gardening. This is perfectly possible when using peat-free soil. Peatlands are invaluable, richly diverse ecosystems essential for both the natural world and the climate. They store an estimated 3,200 million tonnes of carbon and when peat is removed and the land is disrupted, this releases carbon back into the atmosphere. The large-scale removal of peat for gardening purposes is devastating these cherished wildlife habitats. To effectively nourish your peat-free soil, consider making your own compost at home.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity encompasses the diverse array of life forms within a specific region, including animals, plants and even microorganisms in our natural world. These various species and organisms form a complex, interconnected network that sustains life and the cycles within the environment. Sustainable gardeners support biodiversity by:
- Creating habitats for pollinators and other beneficial insects
- Planting native plants to encourage natural cycles of biodiversity
- Choosing plants that flower and fruit throughout the year to attract pollinators all year round
Reclaimed wood
Using reclaimed wood not only presents a beautiful, rustic aesthetic but it offers benefits for the environment and gardeners too. By using reclaimed wood you are eliminating the need to use newly harvested timber and are keeping recycled wood in circulation for longer. This contributes to the reduction of deforestation and the conservation of natural habitats as it repurposes wood that would have otherwise been discarded. Reclaimed wood is typically weathered and hardened to the elements. This makes it the perfect choice for garden structures such as raised beds and planters.
Plants for Your Sustainable Garden
Choosing the right plants for your sustainable garden is a vital step in maintaining an environmentally friendly outdoor space.
Companion planting
Companion planting is the method of placing plants together that are mutually beneficial to each other. This helps to maintain a natural balance in your garden. When plants are thoughtfully placed to grow together, insects will be repelled naturally and pollination will occur as it should.
Some plants have allelopathic properties. They release chemicals that can positively or negatively affect the growth of other plants. There is no actual scientific reasoning behind this or even evidence to prove or disprove this theory. However, it is thought that the following plants do not grow well together:
- Garlic and onions
- Cucumbers, radishes, squash, tomatoes or sunflowers with potatoes
- Cabbages with strawberries
There are, however, lots of plants that grow in perfect harmony together. Such plants usually grow well together because the scent of one plant may deter pests that may be common on the other plant. Other reasons include planting brightly coloured flowers next to vegetables that typically don’t display a lot of colour to attract pollinators.
Some good combinations of plants include:
- Lavender with carrots and leeks
- Thyme and roses
- Marigolds and tomatoes
- Mint and brassicas
Drought-resistant plants
These hardy plants can help you save on your water bills and contribute to combatting water shortages, particularly in areas prone to drought. The added bonus of drought-resistant plants is that they are generally low maintenance, requiring less time, effort and resources to nourish them. These plants thrive well in low-water conditions so you can maintain a beautiful garden, provide a natural habitat for native wildlife and reduce your water usage. Some examples of these plants include:
- Lavender
- Hebes
- Verbena
- Buddleias
- Rosemary
Pollinators
When we think of pollinators we generally think of honey bees and butterflies landing on brightly coloured flowers on a sunny summer day. Of course that is a hugely important time to ensure that you are looking after these insects by:
- Providing them with an abundance of colourful flowers
- Providing water
- Avoiding using pesticides and never spraying open flowers
It is also worth remembering that pollinators need to be looked after for the rest of the year as well. Whilst many species do keep out of the cold in the winter months, you may still see some around. It is also important to consider where they might be residing to keep warm. Some tips to help pollinators in the colder months include:
- Leave some heads on flowers as they provide shelter for insects
- Grow some winter flowers such as honeysuckle
- Make a bug hotel for insects to live in. This is a great activity for children as it teaches them about the importance of looking after our wildlife and caring for even the smallest of creatures
- Be careful when clearing the garden. As the autumn leaves fall, the temptation can be to rake up all the leaves but this is the perfect habitat for moth pupae over winter
Read more: How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter
Planting through the seasons
Growing a range of plants for year-round flowering is a key element of sustainable gardening. By having a garden that flowers all year round, not only will you have 365 days of colour but you will also be helping the pollinators that reside in your garden.
We have some recommendations of plants for each season:
- November - February: Common Snowdrop and Purpus Honeysuckle
- March - May: California Lilac and Marsh Marigold
- June - August: Crested Poppy and Borage
- September - October: Chrysanthemum and Tube Clematis
Seasonal vegetables
Growing your own vegetables can save you a huge amount of money on your grocery bill but it goes even further than that. It also eliminates the need for long-distance transportation which lowers air pollution because no lorry, plane, ship or truck is needed to bring the items to your table. You may also find that when you have invested the time and effort into growing your own food, you will be less likely to waste it, leading to a reduction in food waste.
Craft a Sustainable Garden with a Beautiful Design
At 4thD Landscape Services, we are passionate about gardens. We have 20 years of experience in sustainable garden design and we will take you from the very first design to the very last flower planted.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation site visit.