Making Your Outdoors More Sustainable

Making Your Outdoors More Sustainable

We all want a garden that looks nice and is a resource for peace and beauty, a place we can relax and distress. Yet gardening can have a negative effect on the environment and the biodiversity of your neighbourhoods and ultimately our planet.

So here are some tips that you might consider when gardening and planning your outdoor space.

Try to keep as much autochthonous vegetation as you can. That will preserve the natural look of your surrounding and give you an idea of continuity with the environment around you. Also by planting (or not removing) local species you will help nature thrives and develops as it would by itself. You will also be able to enjoy the sights, smells ans sound of your environment in harmony with local ecosystem.

Avoid the use of pesticides as they can contaminate the soil and not only harm the wider environment where you live, but be dangerous for your health as well. There are many alternatives out there that work as fine as chemicals and do not pollute the soil and become a health hazard for you and your family.

The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) works to protect community and environmental health and inspire the use of ecologically sound solutions to reduce the use of pesticides. They also have a lot of fact-sheets regarding alternatives and how to use them. So check them out to find out more.

Plant some edible plants. You will produce crops and have fun growing them. You can also have more fun cooking what you have produced later on.

Do not use heaters as they produce a lot of CO2 and use solar powered lights where possible.

Improve your soil and take care of it. This video interview has lots of trips for improving your soil quality and reduce also maintenance: