Garden design ideas for a sustainable garden
As a garden designer, I always try to incorporate design elements which are beneficial to the environment. Whatever the size or the style of your garden there are always things you can do which are easy on the planet and wildlife friendly.
5 sustainable garden design ideas
- Compost area: Instead of bringing your green waste to the recycling center, you can save some time by using a compost bin. After a few months you will be able to reuse the compost to improve your soil. In terms of design it is important to choose the right place to be able to use it easily. Ideally it has to be not too far away from your house so you can add your kitchen waste. And don’t worry, a well managed compost bin doesn’t smell.
- Allow for some space to collect rainwater.
I previously talked about how to save water in your garden. Summer 2018 was really dry and the english landscape suffered quite a bit. When I design your garden I can integrate some large underground rainwater tank. For a smaller garden water butts are always a good idea.
- Planting design is really important when it comes to design sustainable gardens. It’s essential to choose the plants wisely. Try to avoid annuals and have common sense by choosing the right plant for the right place.
- Encourage the wildlife habitat. Not all the garden has to be tidy and “clean”. The garden is an outdoor space with living organisms. If your garden is big enough, you can allow for a bit of wilderness. By doing so, the wildlife will have areas to hide in. For example you would stack some old logs and some dead wood in a corner of your garden or install an insect hotel. Here is an interesting tutorial by the Wild Life Trusts explaining how to create a hedgehog hole in your fence.
- A wildflower meadow in your garden. Wildflower meadow seeds are now available and it can be a good alternative for your lawn or your borders. It will provide an interesting feature in your garden. But be careful. It takes time to establish and if it won’t always look great. In terms of maintenance it can be more work depending on the height of your meadow mix. We’ll talk about wildflower meadow in another post. It is a trendy garden design features but it requires good planning and soil preparation to be succesful.
This is a non exhaustive list of ideas you can use for the design of your garden. With around 14 millions of gardens in the UK these little things could help to promote more sustainable gardens. Read More
The different ways to save water in your garden
Green Britain is turning yellow… With rainfall at a premium for almost 2 months, gardens have been struggling with not one but now two heatwaves. Here are a few tips to save water and to prepare the garden for drought.
Gardening tips to save water in your garden
- How to water your plants ?
- Consider your soil type. Clay-based soils can be watered less frequently, but need more water whilst sandy soils need more frequent watering but in less quantity. With soil that retains moisture well, it is better to give your plants a good soak every two days rather than a daily sprinkle.
- Water in the evening or early in the morning to reduce water loss through evaporation.
- Water the base of your plants rather than the leaves. It helps to reduce evaporation and prevents diseases and leaf damage.
- Improve your soil:
- Add organic matter (compost, horse manure…) to improve the soil structure and make it more moisture retentive.
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- Cover the surface of your soil with mulch can be really useful to reduce water loss. It will also keep the weeds down. Try to apply mulch between Autumn and Spring while you soil is still moist.
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- An irrigation system is a good option because the water goes where it is needed, but be careful to use it properly.
Change the timer settings gradually and reduce the watering slightly over the years so your plants won’t become dependent on your irrigation system. I’ve seen this problem quite often. The plants don’t develop any root system as they receive water daily and so as soon as the irrigation system stops they are not able to reach the deeper layers of soil.
In garden design planning, irrigation systems are only supposed to help your new plants to settle during their first 2 or 3 years or at times of exceptional heat.
A drizzle or a rainy day is not enough! If it rains quickly during a day it might not be enough for your plants as the water won’t reach the deeper roots. Also think about where your plants are localised. The ones along a wall won’t receive much water.
Planting should be done in the Autumn or in early Spring while the soil is still moist. Autumn is the perfect season as the ground is still warm and the roots will have time to establish themselves before the cold. If the construction of your garden is completed during summer I would advise patience. Start the planting phase in the Autumn. You will avoid unnecessary plant loss and save hours of watering.
Let your lawn turn yellow ! It’s another common-sense tip but your lawn will recover after a heatwave. With more extreme weather episodes, it is better to work with nature.
- Make sure you put the right plant in the right place. Working with a garden designer is a really useful way of helping you to chose your plants carefully. That’s why planting design is an important part of our design process. I carefully design a planting scheme that incorporates your personal style and your soil conditions (soil types and water availability).
- Collect rainwater. Given that it rains a lot in this country, it would be a shame not to use rainwater for your plants. It is a cheap and environmentally friendly approach to garden maintenance.
- Water butts are an easy way to collect water from your roof but they won’t be enough if you are facing a heatwave.
- You can install an underground storage tank for greater storage capacity. It might be something to mention to your garden designer as it requires some groundwork as they can be quite large.