Yes, spending time in your garden can be a rather large contributor to climate change. Yeah, I know. Total bummer. But there are certain methods of keeping a garden that can be resource-intensive and actually harmful to the environment—even if you have the best of environmental intentions.

[1] Amanda Cuthbert and [2] Jon Clift, authors of [3] Climate Change: Simple Things You Can Do to Make a Difference, want to encourage you to garden the right way. The following tips will lower your carbon footprint in the garden so that you can do good really well.

The following is an excerpt from Climate Change:

• Go organic — feed your soil with natural fertilizers, e.g., horse manure or compost. Feed your plants with natural fertilizer, e.g., seaweed extract.
• Use natural pest controls: for example, spray a mixture made with water and an eco-friendly dishwashing liquid on aphids.
• Use a watering can rather than a sprinkler or hose — you will use less water.
• Collect the rainwater from your roof in a rain barrel (or two).
• Retain moisture in your soil by mulching around the base of plants. You can make a mulch using organic materials such as manure, hay, or straw, a thin layer of grass cuttings, or locally produced bark or wood chips.
• Plant close together to conserve water in the soil.
• Choose drought-resistant plants, flowers, and shrubs that positively enjoy dry, hot conditions, such as evening primrose, buddleia, rockrose, thyme, and lavender.

For more tips, check out the [4] Climate Change book preview!

Related Posts:

• [5] Project: Harvest Rainwater with Sand Filters
• [6] Free Your Water: Fundamentals of a Rainwater Harvesting System
• [7] Video: This Lawn is Your Lawn; The Building of an Organic Garden