These days, we are all a lot more aware of how our everyday actions and activities impact the environment, which is a very good thing indeed!
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Despite the world coming to a standstill over the last twelve months or so, the statistics surrounding global warming and the amount of work we all need to be doing to help save our planet can still feel overwhelming. That is why it is so important that everyone takes responsibility for their behaviour and looks for ways in which they can make a difference.
When it comes to projects around the home, it can be very easy for waste to start to pile up. Think about everything you have been ordering online this year and the amount of packaging that comes with every single item, not to mention those older items you have decided to replace. It is also so important to make sure that any new additions are environmentally friendly and responsibly sourced. After all, it’s easy enough to simply scroll through to the first option that comes up, hit buy and not think about the impact that your purchase has had. But if you take a little bit of extra time and effort, you can get to work knowing that you’re doing your bit.
Here are a few steps that you can take to make sure that the work you’re doing in your green space is green.
Always Check Where The Materials Have Come From
Whether you’re putting up a deck, new fencing or you’re building a garden shed, the question of materials is always going to be high on your list. There are so many different factors to consider, from the style to how well it’s going to handle the winter weather, but you should also be making sure that you check to see where the materials have come from. If you’re buying wood, make sure that it has been responsibly and sustainably sourced (if it has been, this information should be easy to find on the supplier’s website!). You can also think about going with composite boards, which are generally made with recycled materials. Again, a little extra time spent on research can make a big difference.
Look For Environmentally Friendly Ways Of Protecting Your Plants
Let’s face it, if we’re growing fruit and vegetables in our back garden, it can be a real pain to discover that they are the new favourite snack for all the birds and insects in your local area. When you are routinely finding that your plants are being picked off and picked on, it can be tempting to reach for a drastic solution. However, if you want to take a more environmentally friendly approach than picking up a can of pesticide, for example, you can keep things simple with some garden netting. Whether you’ve got sparrows doing their best to strip your berry bushes clean or caterpillars coming for your cabbage patch, there are garden netting solutions out there for every problem. Little Fields Farm is a family run business that can help you find the best netting for your garden crop.
Think About Putting In A Compost Heap
When we talk about household waste, we often think about plastic, glass and metal, all the bulky items that we sort through before the recycling rubbish collection day comes around. But there’s a lot of recycling that you can do at home with your food waste too.
A compost heap is a brilliant addition to any garden, allowing you to convert all that kitchen and garden waste into a wonderful organic compost that is rich in nutrients for your garden. You can either make your own compost container or buy a ready-made one, and once you’ve got it all set up it’s very easy from there. What’s more, you’re not only creating an organic material to help your greenery grow, but you are also helping to contribute to the local ecosystem. As the worms and fungi feast on the compost to break it down, other invertebrates are drawn to the pile, which in turn attracts birds. Which brings us to our next point.
Make Your Garden Wildlife Friendly
With a few simple touches, you can turn your garden into a welcome rest area for a wide range of different local wildlife. The addition of berry bushes with good leaf cover will be very attractive for any birds in the vicinity, and you can even add a bird bath or a feeder to keep them happy. With many of the UK’s garden birds in decline, they need all the help they can get.
If you have noticed that your neighbourhood has some hedgehogs snuffling around, why not think about installing a small shelter for them at the bottom of your garden? A quick word of warning for anyone with a cat in their house: while they probably won’t be too worried about hedgehogs, they will be interested in the birds, so make sure anything you provide your new feathered friends stays out of reach!
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