Protecting the environment is a vital part of living in our world today, and believe it or not, you can contribute your part in saving the planet right in your own backyard. Creating an eco-friendly backyard patio, garden, or living space is excellent for low-maintenance options and greener living.
Your backyard can be so much more than just an outdoor space. Designing a sustainable backyard can help transform your area into a beautiful, serene landscape while also showing great concern for climate change.
Here are some eco-friendly tips for landscaping you can apply to your backyard to make it sustainable and unforgettable.
Water Conservation
Reducing runoff from rainwater is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to use your outdoor space. Some landscaping ideas involve surfaces that allow water to seep into the ground, aiding filtration and slowing the flow into drains during rainy days.
Planting in areas with the most water pooling, known as rain gardens, can help capture and filter stormwater. Rain gardens also help maintain your lawn by minimizing the area and providing a nice, inexpensive landscape that looks intentional and beautiful.
Outerclè’s travertine bricks and permeable pavers are excellent to utilize for walls, paths, patio floors, and lining garden beds. They allow water to pass through while providing a lovely backyard aesthetic.
You can also harvest rainwater to make a more sustainable choice and green your landscape. Use the rainwater to water gardens, plants, and flowers, eliminating the need for household water. Creating ways to catch stormwater runoff in your backyard, such as using cisterns, rain barrels, or chains, helps prevent pollution from entering the water supply.
Garden with Native Plants
Using plants, flowers, and produce that are native to your local climate is one of the most effective methods for a sustainable landscape. They are already well adapted to seasonal changes, so they tend to require less fertilizer and water, making them easy to maintain.
Research and find plants and flowers in your area to design your backyard landscape around their growth patterns. Check with local greenhouses or flower shops for more guidance on maintenance.
Composting
Composting is so environmentally friendly because it significantly reduces the amount of trash produced by humans and creates a natural fertilizer for plants to grow and flourish. If you start composting, you’ll be leaping into the land of eco-friendly landscaping.
You just need a warm, relatively sunny area and some soil to begin. To make your compost pile more aesthetically pleasing in your backyard, you can install a compost bin that adds a stylish element.
In your compost area, you can add household and garden waste, including scraps from vegetables and fruits, eggshells, wood pieces and shavings, newspaper, weeds, and cardboard. All of these attract bugs, helping to make your compost in a short six-month period, which you can then start using in your garden.
Growing Your Own Foods
Your gardens may be lovely to look at, but you can also make them serve an eco-friendly purpose by growing your own foods. Consider planting fruit trees and vegetables that you can not only grow but also eat!
Raised garden beds are great for growing vegetables if you have a smaller outdoor space. It’s also helpful to combine plants that complement or help each other. For example, if you have a tomato plant, you can plant marigold flowers near it to help deter pests.
Sustainable Materials and Lighting
If you are using garden beds in your landscaping, make sure they are made of environmentally friendly materials like natural wood, stone, or brick. To help reduce your environmental impact, you can create a design with a stone fountain as the focal point or create a deck area that uses recycled or reclaimed materials.
Lighting is another factor in your outdoor space. Look for solar-powered or LED lights to illuminate your backyard and create ambiance at night while staying sustainable.
Be Energy Efficient
Sustainability in your landscaping is more than gardening; you can use energy in your backyard more efficiently to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, air drying clothes by installing a clothesline in your outdoor space can add a nice style while saving energy from using a dryer frequently.
Trees and taller plants can be placed strategically within the backyard to help provide areas for shade, so you don’t need to install electric fans for cooling. Shrubs, trees, and hedges can also help reduce wind through your backyard to improve energy efficiency when it’s chilly.
Outdoor Landscaping With Sustainability in Mind
Creating an eco-friendly landscape in your backyard can help you feel as though you’re taking steps to help the environment. Designs for outdoor spaces can incorporate a beautiful place to relax and enjoy while being more sustainable.
Working with a professional landscaper to bring your eco-friendly backyard to life may be helpful. You can review all these helpful tips and more patio ideas to create an oasis in your outdoor space while keeping the environment in mind.
