Sustainable Gardening: How to Turn Your Garden Into a Healthy Ecosystem

When you think of the different types of sustainable practices, you may think of gardening as a sustainable activity. While gardening can certainly be a sustainable method, many gardening practices are counterproductive and harmful to the environment. 

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Practicing sustainable gardening will help you to work with the environment, rather than against it. Sustainable gardening can even be easier than some older, outdated gardening practices we cling to. With spring just around the corner, let’s dive into a guide for sustainable gardening and what it means to positively contribute to your local ecosystem.

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What is sustainable gardening and ecosystem gardening?

The idea of sustainable gardening is to minimize your impact on the earth and work with the environment to maintain a healthy and functioning ecosystem (Wier-Jimerson, 2023). Similarly, ecosystem gardening means building an outdoor space that works in harmony with the natural environment and is beneficial for the local ecosystem. By being mindful of our impact on the environment and practicing gardening methods that are healthy for the environment, we can minimize harmful effects on the land while still benefiting from the resources it provides us (Dunklee, 2022).

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Sustainable gardening practices can feel intimidating to new and seasoned gardeners, but some of these gardening methods may be less work than some traditional gardening practices. Let’s take a look at how you can transform your garden or yard into an outdoor area that works in harmony with the environment — not against it:

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How to build a sustainable garden with a healthy ecosystem

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1. Eliminate chemicals in the garden and opt for organic solutions

Chemical solutions for pests and diseases in the garden can be tempting to use because they are fast-acting and easily accessible. However, it’s important to remember the long-term, harmful effects these chemicals can have on the environment and local ecosystem (Dunklee, 2022). 

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Quick solutions with chemicals can have negative effects on “our soil, waterways, wildlife, and crops,” which will cause more harm in the long term than good (Dunklee, 2022). Fertilizers and pesticides with chemicals are bound to sink deep into the ground, affecting the soil's ability to produce healthy crops and removing not just the pests, but also other insects and wildlife that are integral to the local ecosystem. Evidence has shown that pests can also become immune to chemical pesticides. This means more chemicals are needed to remove the infestation, which only pollutes the environment more and builds up the immune system of future pests (Dunklee, 2022).

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Luckily, there are many organic solutions available for removing pests and diseases that cause less harm to the environment. Research for organic resources may seem tedious when you could just stop by the store for chemicals, but this extra effort will ensure your local ecosystem remains healthy and benefits from human impact. Organic methods are also typically more cost-effective than chemical solutions, saving the environment and your finances (Wier-Jimerson, 2023).

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2. Lessen your waste by composting

Composting is another great way to implement sustainable gardening practices and lessen your impact on the environment. Rather than allowing materials to end up in landfills only to rot, much of that waste can be repurposed into nutrient-dense resources for our gardens by practicing composting. 

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Not only does composting reduce waste, “it also rejuvenates worn-out soil,” (Dunklee, 2022). By turning gardening waste into compost, you can nurture your soil and garden — and in turn, the environment with your sustainable fertilizer (Dunklee, 2022). Materials that can be used for compost piles include “grass clippings, deadheaded flowers, dried leaves, and more,” (Wier-Jimerson, 2023). Composting is also a much more sustainable and inexpensive method for a nutrient-rich fertilizer than the chemical solutions found in stores (Dunklee, 2022; Weir-Jimerson, 2023).

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3. Be mindful of your watering methods and conserve your water supply

Water conservation is an important element in sustainable gardening practices, especially in regions where water supplies are scarce (Wier-Jimerson, 2023). Thankfully, there are a few watering methods that will provide your garden and yard with adequate water to thrive while also preventing water waste. 

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The simplest way to conserve your water supply is to eliminate your dependence on sprinkler systems, which can be extremely wasteful as the soil can’t absorb all the water quickly enough. Try drip irrigation systems instead, which can be more efficient at accomplishing the same goal (Dunklee, 2022). Planting a rain garden can also be a creative way to minimize your water usage. Rain gardens are efficient at conserving water because they can hold rainwater and prevent water runoff. These plants can include various native flowers, perennial plants, and shrubs (Dunklee, 2022). 

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Another effective way to conserve water is to install a rain catchment system in your yard. This system collects rainwater as it falls in barrels that can be stored and used when needed. Collecting rainwater can also help with water runoff and lessen the impact of flooding if you live in a flood zone (Dunklee, 2022). However, it’s important to note that collecting rainwater can be controversial depending on where you live, so you’ll want to check your local laws beforehand. Some regions prohibit rainwater collection, while some areas even offer incentives for their residents to harvest rainwater (Dunklee, 2022).

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4. Remove invasive species and plant native flora

You may be surprised to hear not all plants are beneficial for your garden and some may even be extremely harmful to your local ecosystem (Wier-Jimerson, 2023). These plants are referred to as invasive species, which are plants that are highly incompatible with the area and cause more harm than good. In addition to the destruction of native plants, invasive plants can even wreak havoc on wildlife habitats (Ecosystem Gardening, n.d.).

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Even if a plant is a non-invasive species, it’s important to ensure the native flora outnumbers the non-native plants in your garden. Typically, non-native plant species will “require more water, effort, and nutrients than native species, meaning they use more resources overall,” because they aren’t acclimated to your specific soil and climate (Dunklee, 2022; Wier-Jimerson, 2023). By choosing to plant native species, you’ll use less precious resources and exert less effort to sustain your garden.

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5. Retire the gardening practice of tilling

It can be easy to take the soil for granted, but it’s important to remember our actions can impact the health and quality of the soil. Soil is not an infinite source like it may seem; to keep the soil healthy and the ecosystem alive, the soil must be nurtured for it to stay viable for plant growth (Dunklee, 2022). 

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Tilling is a traditional gardening practice, but it is extremely destructive to the earth and the natural soil structure. Regular tilling can lead to soil that is dense and difficult to grow anything. Tilling will also bring weed seeds to the surface, encouraging weed growth (Dunklee, 2023). There are very few times when tilling is a necessity, such as building a garden from scratch, but the practice should be used sparingly and only when necessary.

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More sustainable gardening tips

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1. Repurpose and reuse materials where you can

A key point in many sustainable practices is to use what resources you already have access to before outsourcing your needs — and gardening is no exception. This means reusing and repurposing the gardening materials that are available to you wherever you can. Broken bricks can be repurposed into “walkways, edging around garden beds, or row markers,” while old lumber can make for a raised garden bed or fencing (Dunklee, 2022). 

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2. Add mulch to your garden landscape 

Adding mulch to your garden has considerable benefits; mulch can reduce water evaporation, prevent weed growth and erosion, protect plants, encourage plant growth, and nourish the soil with nutrients as the material decomposes (Dunklee, 2022). Sustainable mulch options include lawn clippings, woodchips, old leaves, pine needles, straw, cocoa bean hulls, sawdust, and coir (Dunklee, 2022; Weir-Jimerson, 2023). These are materials that unnecessarily end up in landfills when they could be used as valuable resources in your garden.

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3. Minimize the size of your grass lawn

Large, manicured lawns can make for beautiful landscaping, but they also utilize a lot of resources to remain perfectly green and weed-free. Leave these large, manicured lawns in the past by reducing the size of your lawn. Minimizing the size of your yard with grass will be much more sustainable and easy to care for in the long term than traditional grass landscaping (Wier-Jimerson, 2023).

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For sustainable landscaping, add low-ground shrubs and replace part or all of the grass lawn with perennial ornamental grasses — just be sure to check with your landlord before you make any changes (Wier-Jimerson, 2023). Additionally, just as not all plants are sustainable for your area, not all grass types are either. Depending on your region, certain grass types will grow better than others and require fewer resources and maintenance. Ensuring the grass type that remains in your lawn will conserve nutrients, water supplies, and time. 

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4. Get an electric or manual lawn mower

Gas-powered appliances and machines are known pollutants in our environment and can cause health complications if regularly exposed. Using a gas-powered lawn mower every time you need to cut the gas will heavily increase your carbon footprint. Consider an electric lawnmower, manual lawnmower, trimmer, or blower to help reduce your carbon footprint when maintaining your lawn (Wier-Jimerson, 2023).

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When you choose sustainable gardening methods, you are choosing to maintain the delicate balance in our ecosystems for years to come. Sustainable gardening and ecosystem gardening are the future of gardening if humans are to sustain a mutually beneficial relationship with the environment. 

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Looking for more information on sustainable home and garden care? Visit our blog for more!

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Resources:

7 Sustainable Gardening Practices and Why They're Important

10 Sustainable Gardening Tips to Make Your Yard More Eco-Friendly

The 5 Pillars of Ecosystem Gardening

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

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