From Guest Blogger Diana Smith: Ways to Green Up Your Yard

One would think that having a garden is eco-friendly by default, but not all gardens are equally “green.” Excess water use, improper trash removal, planting foreign plant cultures, and so on, are just some of the many ways that people are hurting the environment with their gardens.If you want to be greener and have a healthy garden as well, then you have come to the right place. So, without further ado, here are four tips to make your yard more eco-friendly.

Smart irrigation

First, you should change the way you water your plants. Water shortage is something that all people should be aware of, even if they are not affected by it. Maybe your town and country are not currently facing this problem, but the threat is real.

That is why you should follow these steps when watering your plants. First, water at the break of dawn. If you water during the midday, the water will evaporate, and your plants won’t soak up as much as they would have if you had watered them before the sun came out. Second, water at the base of the plant. Sprinkling water on the leaves is not as effective as pouring it at the base. After all, the roots are the most important part of a plant.

Make your own compost

Besides tossing your trash into a dumpster, you can also make your own compost out of it. Of course, only organic trash like dead leaves, food leftovers, grass clippings, and so on are suitable for this. Making your own fertiliser is easier than you think. You just need a closed, ventilated container for storing your compost components. Next, add to that a little bit of soil. Finally, make sure you occasionally check and mix the batch.

Proper trash removal

Plants produce trash that is as harmful for the environment as the man-made trash. That means leaves, fallen branches, dead plants, etc. should all be properly disposed of. However, the vast majority of people leave this type of debris on the ground to rot. If you do that, you are practically inviting rodents, parasites, and bugs to nest there.

The solution is to rake the dead leaves and grass clippings as often as you can and properly dispose of them. Additionally, if you have a dead tree and need help with tree removal, you should call experts. There are companies that will safely cut your dead tree and take it to the landfill.

Make use of rainwater

All households with gardens should harness rainwater. This is an inexpensive but highly effective way of reducing your water consumption while keeping your plants healthy and fresh. You don’t have to build a sophisticated contraption. Simply, put a barrel beneath your gutter. This way every time it rains the water will go straight into the barrel.

Rainwater is extremely good for your plants because it rich in minerals and it isn’t full of chemicals like the tap water. However, you should cover the top of the barrel and use the water from it regularly. Otherwise, you will create a perfect nesting ground for mosquitoes.

And that is about it. While gardens and any other patches of green will always do more good than harm for the environment, there are times when you should try to make your yard greener. As you can see from our suggestions this is not something that will take you a lot of time and money. Simply, follow any of these four suggestions and you will have a much healthier, eco-friendlier garden in no time.