Eco-friendly landscaping solutions don’t have to be complicated or expensive. Here are five of the best eco-friendly landscape solutions you can implement in your yard this year.
Conserving water is talked about frequently and for a good reason! You can do multiple things to ensure that your landscape is fostering conservation and eco-friendly stewardship.
Incorporating pavers into your landscape design is a great way to add structural integrity to your soil, create pathways and patios, or support small structures such as compost bins and water barrels. However, traditional pavers do not let water pass through them, which leads to runoff. Letting the rainwater go straight to the drains isn’t eco-friendly, and leads to more watering for you!
Consider using water-permeable pavers in your landscape, which let water pass through to the ground directly below the paver, and we promise that you’ll notice a big difference in the health of your soil. Eco-friendly pavers will keep all the water in your yard and out of the drains, and you’ll save on your water bills in the summer as well!
If you don’t want to replace your pavers, you can spread them out with a two-inch gap between each one to let the water pass through; while not perfect, it is a significant improvement!
Pollinators play a significant role in our global ecosystem, but their numbers are declining significantly. Rest assured, we can make a massive difference in their populations with just a couple of simple changes.
One of the leading causes for the decline in insect populations is garden lights. Reducing garden lights is the most crucial eco-friendly solution that individuals can implement in their landscape.
Garden lights at night confuse insects and pollinators, making them overtired and easy prey for predators. By eliminating your landscape lights, you can save as many as six bugs a night, resulting in literally thousands of insects saved in just your yard! Spread the word to your neighbours, and you can make a difference in our insect populations.
If you want to keep your lights and still protect the bugs, consider motion sensor lights or yellow LED bulbs.
Planting native species in your landscape is great for bugs, wildlife, and eco-conscious gardeners. Exotic plants are indeed beautiful, but they often require overwintering or replacement each spring. Native species are hardy to their local regions, meaning they can establish well through the entire year. Well-established plants result in sturdier soil and reduce runoff in your yard. They also create long-term homes for small wildlife and help propagate a little ecosystem in your yard that will keep the pollinators thriving. Plus, established plants that can survive the seasons mean that you still get to enjoy a gorgeous garden with a lot less maintenance!
Growing trees is surprisingly beneficial to the earth and your landscape for several reasons. First, they provide homes for birds and small wildlife, contributing to a healthy ecosystem. Second, they provide shelter to smaller plants from extreme heat and winds. Third, the shade they provide can help cool your home in the summer, resulting in a lower air conditioning bill. There are so many eco-friendly benefits to growing trees in your landscape!
While a lush, green lawn looks simple, they require a lot of maintenance and resources that aren’t good for you, your pockets, or eco-friendly gardening. If you want to save time and money and improve your landscape, consider replacing your lawn with garden beds. Flower beds with native plant species, veggie gardens, rock mulch beds, you name it! Any garden bed that has a lot of plant variety, contains native species, and doesn’t require as much water to maintain will be more eco-friendly and support local wildlife.
If you’re looking for eco-friendly landscape solutions near you, visit Royal City Nursery today!
