ECO-GARDENING
Small changes make a big difference to your garden’s impact on the environment
Plant for the bees
The recent decline in the number of bees and other pollinating insects could have serious consequences for us all because so many food crops depend on them. You can help by choosing to make space for a mix of pollinator-friendly plants in your garden such as foxgloves, buddleia, echinacea , lavender and cosmos.
Make your own compost
Use grass clippings, vegetable peelings and prunings, then mix with shredded newspaper. Buy a bin or use an out-of-theway corner. Turn the compost occasionally with a fork. In six months to a year you should have a lovely, crumbly mix.
Give wildlife a home
Let a section get overgrown. Try leaving a patch of nettles or a pile of prunings in a corner. Put up bird and bat boxes, and design a bug hotel. Make a 15x15cm hole in the base of a fence to welcome hedgehogs. A hedge is far more wildlife friendly than a fence or wall, as it offers nesting sites for birds.
Recycle and reuse
Plastic pots can’t be recycled and end up as landfill so reuse them wherever possible. Use old egg boxes and cardboard loo roll tubes for planting seeds. If you’re buying new equipment, opt for those made using recycled materials. Visit reclamation yards to find unique pre-loved garden accessories.
Leave your lawn
Attract pollinators by allowing your lawn to grow until the end of summer. You’ll be amazed at how many wildflowers pop up. Or wait longer in between mows. Dandelions provide pollen, while white clover is always a big hit with honeybees.
Green up walls
As well as looking good, vertical planting on walls can help to insulate your home and reduce heating costs, especially useful in older properties that are hard to insulate, and on north-facing walls. Use climbers such as wisteria, or alternatively install a living wall system.
Conserve water
