Plants & Backyard Gardens: Attractive & Environmentally-Friendly Additions to Your Home
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$64.39
Plants help you to get back in touch with nature. Not only do they help clean the air, but they consume carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and convert it back to breathable oxygen. A garden also gives you the ability to grow your own food and support local biodiversity.
When designing your own backyard garden, choose plants that are suitable to your local eco-system. Plants that can survive in your local conditions will thrive without needing too many fertilizers and pesticides. These fertilizers and pesticides are hazardous to wildlife, and can result in the pollution of local waterways.
What to look for when selecting plants for your garden
- Climate. Your local climate will nurture some plants and kill others. Don't choose plants that aren't suited for the local climate.
- Soil. The composition of soil can vary from one region to another. Different plants are better suited to different soil types. Ask the municipal government about the soil in your area, or use a home test kit to self-assess.
- Water. Check local snow and rainfall patterns. Choose plants that will require little additional watering in the summer - keep in mind that some plants prefer well-drained soils, while others don't. Apply mulch and groundcovers to help reduce water loss in the summer months. Hills or slopes in your garden will affect the drainage of the soil.
- The View. Consider the view of your garden from various rooms in the house, the direction of strong windows, and the shade that the plants can provide for your house.
Backyard gardens can help the environment
Green Tip:
When planning your garden, include trees and shrubs. Placed correctly, they can reduce the heating and cooling costs for your home.
- Plants combat the greenhouse effect by consuming carbon dioxide and converting it to oxygen.
- Trees and shrubs provide shade, which can cool down houses during hot weather. This cuts down on air conditioner use.
- Plants convert nitrogen into nitrates (fertilizer) which enrich the soil and helps it to grow more plants.
- Plants filter water for unwanted nutrients and pesticides, improving water quality before it returns to the water table.
- Plants and vegetation reduce storm-water run-off, preventing small-scale flooding.
- Plants can conserve the diversity of local native wildlife by providing it with shelter.
- Garden furniture and landscaping items, such as rain barrels, can be made from recycled materials. Recycling effectively helps to conserve raw materials for future use.
- An unsealed garden bed allows rainwater to seep into the soil, effectively replenishing the water table, as well as preventing erosion and landslides.
- Locally-grown produce in your backyard garden is better for the environment because it cuts down on unnecessary transportation and refrigeration (which both consume energy).
Warning: Backyard Gardens can Hurt the Environment
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- Certain plants consume more water than rainfall provides and can waste a lot of fresh water.
- Pesticide-use can harm other wildlife and humans because many contain known carcinogens.
- Pesticides and artificial fertilizers can wash into storm water drains and be carried to nearby waterways, where it will harm aquatic life. Run-off from suburban gardens is a significant cause of water pollution.
- Exotic plants can also escape from the garden and infest nearby woodlands, choking out native plants.
- Decking and fences can be made from timber products that are treated with harmful chemicals which can harm wildlife and humans.
