Ethical Gardening
Ethical Gardening
Planting While Protecting the Environment
Your home garden doesn't have to suffer from unwanted pests or unwanted chemical runoff. Many pesticides will cause harm to the environment as rain falls and they flow into our streams and rivers. There are a lot of different ways that you can help your personal garden grow while also being mindful of the environment outside of your backyard.
Plan Your Planting
Is your yard level, or does it slope? Does the slope have a good place for runoff, as not to pool downhill? A few quick assessments of the topography of your yard are a great start to planting ethically.
Slopes
Slopes will retain less moisture than level areas. Plant things like ornamental grasses, or wildflowers on slopes to take advantage of the rainwater so that you use less water overall while gardening. Switchgrass and wildflowers make a beautiful slope combination.
Level Areas
When using a level area to garden, make sure that it is at a higher elevation than any slopes in the yard. Most plants do not do well in standing water. However, if your yard is at an area where it tends to collect water, you can also take advantage of that.
While a soggy yard can be a disadvantage for many planters, there are some that thrive in damp areas. Lily of the Valley is one that will be tolerant of moist conditions. Rose Mallow lives up to the nickname "Swamp Hibiscus" because it prefers swampy conditions to the dry soil.
At an elevated level area, you have a lot more choices. The usual things like tomatoes and herbs grow wonderfully in level areas with acceptable drainage. In general, you can take advantage of a great number of vegetables and fruits in such a garden.
Pollinators
Whatever you are planting, and on whichever terrain, your plants will all benefit from natural pollinators such as butterflies, beetles, some birds such as hummingbirds, and of course, bees. A beekeeper will tell you that bees prefer flowers in shades of blue, yellow and purple; and they are especially drawn to those flowers and fruits with sweet aromas. Sunflowers, Hydrangea, Asters, Lavender and Bellflowers will attract bees to your garden to do the pollinating that will have your plants thriving!
Gardening Chemical-Free
The first thing to know about having a chemical-free garden and yard is that you'll learn to accept the local "good bugs," especially once you know what they're doing for you. In fact, you might even find yourself trying to get them to stay!
Creating a Healthy Habitat for the Friendly Bugs and Insects
There are an amazing number of bugs that you could use to your advantage in your gardening and care of your yard. For instance, the famous ladybug preys on plant-destroying aphids and mites. Should you come across a spider in your garden, you might want to let it be. They not only also eat aphids, but will feed on mosquitos as well. You aren't likely to see too many ground beetles, as they generally only come out at night time. These armored friends will eat your slugs and potato beetles!
Attracting the Good Guys
One thing you can do to promote healthy soil growth as well as attract some of the bugs and insects you actually want in your garden is to mow your grass a little bit higher. What's great, is that you can promote even healthier soil by leaving the cuttings on top of the grass. You'll also attract Earthworms, which will in turn make your soil even healthier. If you have a well-used yard you don't want to leave clippings on, set aside a small area that gets average sun and rainfall to keep some clippings on top. Quite a few of the different bugs and insects that will feed on mosquitos and gnats are attracted to taller grasses, if you have a small area to leave higher than the rest. A Praying Mantis will prefer tall grasses where you may typically see gnats. If you can introduce one into your personal backyard environment, you will get the benefits of the Mantis all over the yard and garden.
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| Wheel Bug; Benefits your plants by eating soft-bodied pests such as caterpillars and moths. |
Spread the Word
Finally, we'd like to encourage you to share these techniques with your family, friends and neighbors. One by one, if each yard in your neighborhood could reduce or eliminate the need for chemicals in their yards and gardens, it will make an enormous impact on the future of our environment as a whole. While we are building our own backyard paradise, we should think ahead to the future for the next generations. We want them to be able to enjoy the same things we do. The calm of the wafting lavender, the cool soil on our hands, the joy of watching the flowers bloom, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from working with your hands to help feed the family.
Please check out these sources to help you build your sustainable garden:
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