Sustainable Gardening Tips (Part One)

Hey Guys, 
I hope everyone is doing well.

As promised, we're fully exploring into the world of sustainable gardening. I'll share as much information as possible so that you guys have all the information and tools at your disposal so you can decide for yourselves if making the switch to a more sustainable method of gardening is right for you.

So for today, I'll be sharing with you guys some sustainable gardening tips.
Let's dive right in:

1: Plant A Tree
I know this sounds very simple, but there's a very good reason  why planting more and more trees in your garden can go a long way in helping to make your garden more sustainable and here's why: Trees not only provide a suitable and safe habitat for all kinds of wildlife, they also purify the air we breathe. The only downside here is that not everyone has the kind of space available that's needed to be able to plant trees. So if you are lucky enough to have the space available, it's well worth considering adding trees to your garden.
Remember to pick a suitably sized tree for your garden space and research your local flora to ensure your new tree(s) can thrive.

2: Help The Bees
This is something I will be taking a closer look at in future blog posts as I think it's really important to highlight the plight of many of the species of bees we have here on this big blue marble as these little guys are the backbone of every sustainable garden and they need our help now more than ever.
Humans will not survive on this big blue marble without bees.
Take a moment to let that sink in....
Planting bee-friendly flowers will attract some very important visitors to your garden. The world needs more pollinators and encouraging them to pay your garden a visit helps keep the numbers of pollinators worldwide on the rise instead of on the decline as is becoming more and more common these days.
Use local native plants and try to plant them clumped together rather than at random in your garden.

3: Go Chemical Free
I've already spoken a lot about the numerous benefits of going chemical free  in your garden, but it's worth mentioning again. Using chemicals can have a long term negative impact on both the soil and the wildlife; however there are alternatives which you can use instead of restorting to harmful chemicals.
The first alternative would be to spend some time actually pulling up the weeds manually by hand, this is also a great activity to get your children involved in if you have any, and it will help your children get to know your garden a little better. The only thing I would keep in mind here is that doing this kind of work manually is very time-consuming.
If you don't have the time for manual weeding, there is also the alternative of using hot water on weeds to kill them. The hotter the water, the more likely the plant is to die- make sure you don't accidentally pour any of the water on the plants you wish to keep!
Pesticides can be replaced by attracting natural predators to your garden. This includes ladybirds, dragonflies, birds and frogs.
You can also line your flowerpots with copper or aluminium foil to discourage slugs and snails from climbing up your flower pots or grow bags.

4: Be Smart About Water
We all know just how precious resource a water is because we rely on water to keep our gardens growing.
Summer, especially for those who are fortunate enough to have long, hot, dry summers, can be particularly challenging because some areas have little to no rain in the summer. Fear not, however, there are solutions that go a long way in making your garden more sustainable. All we need to do is be a little smarter about our water usage, don't worry, I'm here to guide you.
Planting plants that don't need as much water, collecting rainwater or using grey water from your bathtub or kitchen can all be ways which you can be smarter about your water usage and keep your garden more sustainable even in the height of summer!

Making your garden more sustainable doesn't have to be a huge task, it's just small changes here and there which can grow into something so much bigger!
Thank you for reading, 
Until Next Time.
Kim