Sustainable Gardening Tips for Eco-Friendly Yards and Water Features
Gardening is about enjoying nature and its beauty, so it makes sense that gardeners try to reduce the negative impact their gardening has on the environment. There are small swaps to make in your everyday life to be more eco-friendly, like bringing reusable bags to the grocery store or refilling your water bottle instead of buying a plastic one.
You can do little things in the garden and around your water features to make your outdoor space more sustainable. These sustainable gardening tips are easy to work into your routine. Choosing organic fertilizer or native plants over exotic ones may not seem like a big deal, but little by little these small swaps make a significant impact. Check out these sustainable gardening tips and see which ones you can try in your garden and around your backyard pond or fountain.
What is Sustainable Gardening?
Sustainable gardening is about minimizing the harm to the environment with your gardening practices. Sustainable gardens avoid using fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and instead use natural methods. A sustainable garden is often organic and incorporates eco-friendly ways to keep the garden balanced. You can gradually make your garden more sustainable without having to switch overnight.
DIY Fertilizer: Compost for Healthy Gardens and Ponds
Composting is a great way to get rid of old plant clippings, leaves, and other green waste. For your compost pile, add any leftover fruit, vegetable, coffee filters, and other plant matter. Avoid animal proteins like dairy or meat. Eggshells are an excellent addition to enrich the soil around garden beds and even aquatic plants in container water gardens.
Start a Veggie Garden at Home
Incorporate fruits, veggies, and herbs into your garden and start growing your own food. Growing food reduces your overall carbon footprint since produce doesn’t have to travel far to get to your kitchen. Easy foods to grow: spinach, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, blackberries, strawberries, mint, and chives. Planting edibles near your pond or fountain can create a thriving ecosystem.
Go Organic with Plants and Water Features
An organic garden avoids chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Choose organic seeds, plants, and soil to keep your space eco-friendly. Instead of chemical products, try natural or DIY pest control remedies. If you have a pond or water garden, using organic methods ensures your water stays clear and safe for plants and wildlife.
Choose Native and Local Plants
Many nursery plants come from outside your region. While beautiful, they often aren’t native to where you live. Native and local plants are essential for your local ecosystem and pair beautifully with pond edges and water features. Refresh your knowledge with our blog on local plants.
Save Water with Rain Barrels and Pond Features
You can recycle water to make your garden more sustainable. Instead of letting cold sink or shower water run down the drain, collect it in a bucket for your plants. After boiling pasta or vegetables, let the water cool and reuse it in your garden. The water is filled with nutrients.
You can also collect rainwater and direct your gutters into a rain barrel. Attach a spigot for easy filling of buckets and watering cans or use the collected rainwater to top off a backyard pond or water feature.
Tip: Water plants in the early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation and maximize absorption.
Need to Mow? Go Manual or Electric
According to Scientific American, at least five percent of US air pollution comes from gas-powered mowers. Try an electric mower or, for extra exercise, go manual. Electric trimmers and leaf blowers are also available for greener lawn care.
Use Mulch to Conserve Moisture Around Your Water Garden
Adding mulch to garden beds helps reduce weeds naturally and keeps soil moist, reducing water use. Composting leaves creates leaf mold, a great mulch alternative. Wood chips also work well. Around water gardens or fountains, mulch helps balance soil moisture and protects plant roots.
Attract Pollinators Near Your Pond
Flowers attract bees and butterflies that pollinate local plants. Pollinator-friendly gardens support your ecosystem and thrive even more when paired with ponds or fountains. Bees cross-pollinate as they search for nectar, keeping your garden productive. With pollinator populations declining, planting bee-friendly flowers around water features creates a haven.
Save Your Seeds
At the end of the growing season, collect seeds from your annuals to replant next year. Dry them and store in a low-humidity space over winter. Saving seeds saves money and keeps your garden self-sustaining.
Hydroponic Gardening: Grow with Water
Instead of soil, you can grow plants in water — this is hydroponic gardening. Many plants absorb nutrients directly from water, which can boost yields and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers. Hydroponics is also ideal for indoor gardening and can complement outdoor ponds or water features. Refresh your memory about setting up a hydroponic garden.
Upcycle for Rustic Garden and Water Feature Décor
Reusing older materials, you would normally throw away is an easy way to make your garden more sustainable. Old wheelbarrows, buckets, or watering cans make charming rustic planters or mini water features. Egg cartons are perfect for starting seedlings, while yogurt cups can be hidden in the soil as planters.
Make Your Garden More Sustainable
Sustainable gardens reduce their negative impact locally and globally. Simple swaps like using rainwater for your pond, adding mulch around your plants, or choosing a manual mower will add up to big change over time.
Gardens are about beauty and connection with nature. By making eco-friendly choices in your garden and water features, you give back to the environment while creating a peaceful, sustainable outdoor space.
