Green Gardening

Being in the hot sun, fighting off pests, and maintaining a garden might feel overwhelming. However, the benefits can be amazing. The results are a beautiful, outdoor living area that draws everyone outside to enjoy nature. So how do you create this garden with green in mind, and sun, pests and weeding out of mind? It’s simple. Just follow these simple steps to help you plan your outdoor eco-garden:

1) Pick the right plants that flourish in your environment. Let the natural landscape flourish by using native plants. A great source to help is High Country Gardens. They will tell you which plants grow in your regions, which plants attract humming birds, which ones are water conscious, and which plants the deer will avoid. They also offer preplanned gardens and will send you the plans and plants for a discounted rate.

2) Consider using water conscious plants. These plants will help eliminate the need for excess watering and also make maintaining your garden easier on you. Gardens that need little water are often referred to as Xeriscape gardens.

3) In line with step 2, consider installing a drip system to water your plants. It is really quite easy and an economical and maintenance free approach to watering your plants. For about $40, you can even buy a timer that you install on your water hose attachment and the watering takes care of itself. To learn more about drip systems and how to install one, go to www.dripworksusa.com.

4) Consider attracting the bees. I know many people want to keep the honey bees away, but in case you haven’t heard, they are dying off by the millions throughout the world. They have actually labeled this epidemic C.C.D. (Colony Collapse Disorder). So consider helping revive the bees and stimulate the bee population by planting flowering plants. If you are concerned about hovering bees, then consider planting bee attracting plants away from major walk ways and people populated areas.

5) Compost; it’s really simple and quite scary if we don’t. Left unattended in landfills, food waste doesn’t decompose but rather turns into methane gas. This gas is a leading factor in global warming. So consider composting. You’ll see a difference in your weekly trash volume going to the land fill, you’ll be creating a fabulous and organic fertilizer that can go right back into your garden. To learn more, read our article on composting.

6) Use organic solutions to pesticides and fertilizers. For example, slugs love beer. If you put a bowl of beer next to your plants, they’ll head on over and party it up. No more slugs. Deer don’t like paprika so sprinkle paprika around your plants and they’ll take one sniff, and run for the hills. If pesky aphids, mealy bugs and mites are raiding your plants, try a spray solution of 1 tablespoon dish soap and 1 quart of water to coat your plants. This helps keep those pesky bugs at bay. For more recipes, go to www.essortment.com/all/homemadeorgani_renu.htm.

To read more about this topic, go to gengreen.org. Enjoy your summer garden!