Take being green-fingered to a whole new level by gardening in a smart, eco-friendly way, from cutting back on pesticides and weedkillers to picking pre-loved planters
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Embrace the ecological way
Switch to eco
With concern for the environment hitting an all-time high, the trend for green gardening is growing. We’re shunning chemicals, choosing native plants, encouraging wildlife and cultivating our own veg. Whether you have acres of land or simply a cluster of pots, tiny changes help. Dig out the gardening gloves...
Grow your own
Why waste fuel, time and energy on trips to the supermarket when you can enjoy the fruits of your own harvest? Think about the crops you most enjoy, the type and size of garden you have and the time available to you before creating your own Good Life plot. Don’t forget to throw your veggie waste on the compost heap afterwards to return nutrients back to the soil.
SET UP A POTTING STATION
KEEP AN EYE OUT ON SECOND-HAND SELLING SITES FOR AN OLD TABLE YOU CAN REPURPOSE AS A POTTING STATION. USE THE DRAWERS TO STASH YOUR SEED PACKETS IN THE ORDER THEY CAN BE SOWN AND USE HOOKS SECURED ON A WALL ABOVE FOR KEEPING TOOLS CLOSE BY.
WELCOME WILDLIFE
ENTICE SLUG-EATING HEDGEHOGS WITH PILES OF LEAVES AND LOGS, WHILE ALL MANNER OF BIRDS WILL FLOCK TO BIRD FEEDERS. LADYBIRDS EAT APHIDS, SO PLANT SUNFLOWERS FOR THEM – AND DON’T FORGET THOSE CRUCIAL POLLINATORS, THE LAVENDER-LOVING BEES
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE
COLLECTING RAINWATER IS A NO-BRAINER – THERE’S PLENTY OF IT IN THE UK AND IT’S FREE! CONNECT A WATER BUTT (WEATHERED OAK BARRELS WORK WELL, TOO) TO YOUR ROOF GUTTERING AND USE IT TO WATER THE PLANTS OR WASH THE CAR
PLANT A GREEN ROOF
BUILT ON A WATERPROOF MEMBRANE, A LIVING ROOF HAS MANY ECO BENEFITS: IT CREATES BIODIVERSITY, REDUCES NOISE AND INSULATES. IT HAS ALSO BEEN FOUND THAT IT CAN CUT AIR POLLUTION. INSTALL ONE ON A SHED OR GARAGE STURDY ENOUGH TO TAKE THE WEIGHT
PICK OUT A PRE-LOVED PLANTER
FROM WELLY BOOTS TO CRATES, RECYCLED ITEMS BRING CHARACTER. BROWSE EBAY AND FREECYCLE FOR TIN BATHS, BUCKETS AND SINKS, WHILE ECOPOTS CREATES POTS USING RECYCLED PLASTICS
SCATTER THE SEED
Bee-friendly wildflower mix tin, £6, Seedball
BUY THE BOOK
Bring the Wild into your Garden: Simple Tips for Creating a Wildlife Haven by Annie Burdick (£12.99, Summersdale)
GO FOR RECYCLED
Ecopots Sofia recycled plastic conical flower pot in White, £9.95, Circular & Co
HAVE A FLUTTER
Growbar butterfly bar, £12, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust