7 Plants For Your Eco-Friendly Garden
Gardening is one of the most natural, healthy hobbies. It allows you to get some physical activity, fresh air and sun and lets you grow beautiful plants you can enjoy for years to come. Best of all, you can grow an incredible eco-friendly garden by using a variety of plants.
How to Create Your Own Eco-Friendly Garden
There is a common misconception that all you need to create your own eco-friendly garden is a selection of plants. However, there’s a lot more to it than that. To start creating an eco-friendly garden, you will have to incorporate the right plants and use only all-natural products to help them grow and thrive.
It’s important to know what comprises creating an eco-friendly garden. These are the key factors to know:
• They encourage the use of native plants.
• You must avoid pesticides and fertilizers that contain harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment.
• Your garden should make use of the soil and natural climate.
• Eco-friendly gardens use minimal supplemental water.
Best Plants to Grow in Your Garden
For many home gardeners looking to create an eco-friendly garden, plant choice is subjective. However, you don’t have to choose organic plants and don’t have to spend a lot of money to incorporate them into your garden. Plants that can improve your outdoor living space and thrive without pesticides are the best options. Here are some choices of eco-friendly plants to beautify your garden.
Garlic
Garlic repels many insect pests and provides your family with a tasty, healthy addition to your meals. It can also provide good protection to other plants nearby, especially those that are susceptible to attacks by aphids.
Strawberries
Plant strawberries in your eco-garden in a spot that gets at least eight hours of full sun. They need soil that is on the acidic side with a pH level of 5.5 to 6.8. Add plenty of natural compost to the soil and an inch or so of water. You’ll be graced by sweet, tart, delicious berries in no time.
Garden Mums
Garden mums are perennials that are perfect for an eco-garden. They bloom beautiful colors in the fall and thrive when summer flowers have faded. They should be planted in the spring and cut back a few inches after the blooming season. You can use them as colorful borders for landscaping. They do well in sunny spots or in partial shade and need plenty of water.
Green Beans
Green beans are a great addition to an eco-friendly garden. You can grow them on a trellis and look forward to them sprouting quickly. If animals visit your garden, they might feed on the leaves, but they’ll leave the actual beans alone so you can harvest them and enjoy them raw or cooked.
Weeping Fig
Also known as the ficus tree, the weeping fig is a great choice for sprucing up your eco-friendly garden. It’s nice for landscaping and does best when planted in a location that sees full sunlight in the morning and more shade later in the day. It needs regular watering but shouldn’t be kept overly moist. Weeping figs need generous amounts of fertilizer, so your compost should suffice nicely. You can enjoy tasty figs from your tree, too!
Heirloom Tomatoes
Tomatoes need a spot in your eco-friendly garden that gets sunlight for six to eight hours per day. The best way to grow them is to plant a trellis for support as they need to stay off the ground. If you choose to plant multiple tomato plants, space them out at least two feet apart.
Basil
It’s imperative to always have basil for cooking and adding delicious flavor to your cooking. Basil planted beside tomatoes is excellent for an eco-friendly garden as it helps to attract bees while naturally repelling pests. Companion planting with basil and tomatoes can also help your tomatoes’ health and improve flavor.
Compost Your Garden
When composting your eco-friendly garden, you should use only natural materials. Old leaves, crushed eggshells and fruit and vegetable matter work well to nourish the plants in your garden. These items are all-natural and biodegradable, allowing you to see your garden thrive year after year.
