Sustainable OUTDOOR SPACES

Use these easy ways to make your garden more eco-friendly.

• VARNISHES, PAINTS AND STAINS. Eco-friendly stains and paints are widely available in many shades and are an easy way to be environmentally friendly. These are also better for you as well, because they don’t contain toxins that you shouldn’t breathe in anyway. Milk paint is often non-toxic, so that’s a good place to start. • REPURPOSE INDOOR PIECES. Do you have any old pieces of furniture that don’t fit in your home anymore? Find a new place for them outside. Some indoor furniture is okay to take outside. This may require you to treat it using an exterior-grade stain or varnish to protect it from weather. • SUSTAINABLE LIGHTING FIXTURES. Light up your backyard using clean energy and more sustainable flames to create an inviting and cozy environment. Opt for eco-friendly and solar-powered lighting that are both sustainable and stylish. For candles, instead of reaching for paraffin wax, which is derived from fossil fuels, choose an ethically produced natural wax and oil-based candle.

(above) (below) The borders and boundaries, low height levels and size of this plot each serve a specific purpose that makes this garden healthy, beautiful and easy to maintain. The plant supports are repurposed materials and household objects. “Coppiced branches, old canes, sticks and staves can easily be put together to create a sturdy framework for climbers. Save lengths of ribbon, shoelaces, wool and any kind of thread, as you can use these to tie everything together,” Bird and Duchars write. This former beer keg turned stove is an imaginative example of upcycling otherwise unusable items into a new piece everyone can enjoy. It’s perfect for cozying up and toasting marshmallows by the fire, which is exactly the function this beer keg stove serves.