KEY POINTS:
Keep it real
Get rid of pesticides, weed killers and chemical fertilisers, and layer on all-natural compost instead. Call in beneficial insect reinforcements to attack pesky garden pests.
Kitchen compost
Compost your vegetable waste instead of trucking it to the landfill. Compost enriches soil fertility with a shot of plant-loving nutrients and improves water retention. Speed up the process with earthworms.
Plant a veggie garden
Buying organic produce can be pricey, so consider ripping up the lawn and growing your own. Not only will you gain fresh, healthy food, you will spend less time mowing the grass. Lawns are labour-intensive and can require unhealthy amounts of fertiliser, all for little more than ornamentation.
Go native
After de-lawning your home, consider replacing the putting green with native grasses and trees. Native plants are easy to grow, requiring less fertiliser and water, and less effort to rein in pests.
Harvest rainwater
Adding a rain barrel is an inexpensive, effortless way to capture chlorine-free water for watering gardens, and cleaning cars and windows. It can cut water costs, and reduce stormwater runoff, which in turn helps prevent erosion and flooding.
Water with care
Water early in the day to avoid evaporation and winds. Adding mulch and compost to your soil will also retain water and reduce evaporation. The best place to drench plants is directly on the roots.
Help butterflies, bees
Provide a sanctuary for pollinators by planting flowers. Bee populations in particular are declining from pesticide use, pollution, disease and habitat destruction. This is a major concern because they and other insects and birds pollinate 35 per cent of the world's crop production.
Buy recycled
If your aesthetic sensibilities balk at the idea of re-using yoghurt or icecream containers to house your hydrangeas, look for planters and pots made from recycled materials.
Source: Treehugger.com
