Sustainable Gardening 

evcc garden

When you grow in a greener way, you’ll have less waste, use fewer chemicals, and overall, you may have fewer costs. It can add up to big benefits for the planet, too.

So, what is sustainable gardening? There’s no official definition, but the idea is to minimize the impact that humans have on the earth. Following sustainable practices at home includes avoiding polluting chemicals, preserving natural resources, and reducing waste whenever possible. You don’t have to make huge changes right away if you want to start gardening in a more sustainable way; even something as simple as using natural weed killing methods instead of chemicals can help the environment. These sustainable gardening ideas will help you contribute to a happier, healthier planet.

A gorgeous, green, and weed-free lawn uses a lot of resources. Water and fertilizer are needed to keep most lawns looking in top shape. You can have more sustainable landscaping by reducing the area planted in grass and replacing it with easy-care perennial ornamental grasses, low-growing shrubs, or groundcovers.

Using less water is an important element of sustainability, especially in areas where water is scarce and restricted. Xeriscaping, a method of gardening and landscaping that reduces the need for watering, incorporates a wide variety of attractive drought-tolerant shrubs and perennials. To collect water from Mother Nature to use on your plants, install a rain barrel at the base of one or more of your downspouts.

Long-lived perennials are an excellent way to get more bang from your gardening buck. Choose perennials that are adapted to your USDA Zone; you can find zone information on the plant tag. To save money, buy small perennials; they’ll get bigger and better every year. Every couple of years, they’ll need to be divided, which gives you more plants to enlarge your sustainable backyard garden or share with friends.

Using a gas-powered lawnmower pollutes the air, and it can really add up if you’re mowing every week in the spring. 

One the best ways to partake in sustainable gardening practices is to compost your green waste. Grass clippings, deadheaded flowers, dried leaves, and more can be turned into a nutrient-rich sustainable fertilizer in a compost pile.

If you’d like to reduce your carbon footprint, consider manually operated lawn-care equipment, or use electric mowers, trimmers, and blowers.

Learn more about EvCC Sustainability!  www.everettcc.edu/green

Mariya Zelenskyy – Media and Outreach Coordinator  sustainability@everettcc.edu