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Spring may have already begun to “sprung” in your area, and now is the time to think about starting your very own eco garden for the season. Think of this wonderful quote by Robin Williams: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” Diving into the outdoors is just the way to get that party started.

The first step is to make a really good compost heap. If you’ve never composted before, you’re going to love the way that composting cuts back on waste. Put it in the compost, not in a landfill. As the organic waste begins to decompose, it will add nutrients to the soil.

You can compost all kinds of food and organic waste:

  1. Fruit
  2. Vegetables
  3. Leftover food with the exception of meat or dairy
  4. Coffee grounds
  5. Egg shells
  6. Dead leaves
  7. Lawn clippings
  8. Shredded paper

You’ll want to gather enough material to generate its own heat; as the material decomposes, the pile of compost will generate its own heat through the composting process. Add water to the compost heap to keep it moist. Let air into the heap by turning it over with a pitchfork.

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!” – Sitting Bull

Avoid using any kind of chemical fertilizers. Instead, add nutrients to the soil naturally. Products like bone meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and cottonseed meal work really well along with your compost to create a rich soil.

So what should you plant? Trees! If you have room, trees are one of the best eco choices. They improve air quality. It’s also best to choose native flowers and plants; they’ll thrive in your climate’s growing conditions requiring less fertilizer, water, and of course labor. Native plants are also better for local wildlife.

Keep your garden in mind whenever you think of water. Rather than using fresh water, you can conserve by adding gray water to your garden instead. Rainwater, for example, can be gathered in barrels or other kinds of containers. Catch the run off from your drainpipes. A drip line or soaker hose is also a great idea because these tools target the plants’ roots. Rather than growing grass, which actually takes a lot of water to stay healthy, shrink the size of your lawn and focus on other types of gardening instead. Rock gardens are a great idea because they’re visually interesting, easy to care for, and they don’t requite all that water.

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What tools are best for gardening? Push lawn mowers are better than electric mowers powered by gas. Electricity is better than gas, but muscle power is better than either. If you do need help beyond your muscle fuel, aim for electric versions of these machines like garden tillers, weed eaters, and leaf blowers, etc.

“Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” – Gustav Mahler

Kill weeds with natural herbicides. Synthetic insecticides kill all insects and despite what your creepy crawly preferences are, that’s not an eco-friendly option. They kill beneficial insects like bees along with the bugs that you’re trying to be rid of. You’ll want to choose natural pesticides that degrade rapidly. There are great natural products that you can use to target specific problems, like milky spore bacteria can be used to control Japanese beetles. You can use corn gluten to control weeds, or clove oil. You can also use potassium bicarbonate, milk, baking soda and cooking oil as safer methods to control plant disease.

When do you plan to get out into your garden?

 

Jennie LyonAbout Jennie Lyon

Jennie Lyon is a green lifestyle writer and the owner of Sweet Greens, the award-winning green lifestyle blog. She posts on simple, fun ways families can go green together – starting with her own. When she isn’t blogging, you will find her paddleboarding, sailing, beach-combing, camping, or spending time with her amazing husband and 13-year old son.

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