What we do in the garden has many impacts on our natural environment. In thinking about design it is important to consider if it fosters biodiversity, if maintaining it will use more water than our rather arid continent can support, if it avoids contributing to the spread of invasive plants, if it will need pesticides or herbicides which will enter stormwater and pollute waterways. Here are some tips to get your garden on the sustainability track right from the beginning.
When establishing or renewing gardens, the first thing to do is to develop a concept of the layout and what you want from the garden. Do you really want or need an expanse of lawn with beds for shrubs just around the edges? What are the features of gardens that contribute to sustainability? There’s lots to consider – low environmental impact materials, water conservation, provision of habitat for wildlife, energy efficiency to name just a few.
Cheap Tools are for Fools!
Like most people, I enjoy my gardening, but have to do so on a fairly tight budget (as they say, horticulture is a job you do for love, not money!).…
Beyond the Lawn: Sustainable Alternatives to Traditional Grass
Many Australian gardens contain lawn simply because it has always been there. Perhaps a previous owner planted it, or perhaps we simply assume a…
Sustainability of Horizontal Garden Surfaces
In order to walk around your garden, or to have open spaces for table and chairs, you might be seeking to install a surface that is firm, attractive…
Upcycled Containers for the Garden
If you like avoiding waste, being practical and saving money, then upcycling is for you. With a little imagination and a keen eye you can make…
Garden Edging from Recycled Material
Not all of us have half a metre of topsoil in our backyards – unfortunately. So to get a decent depth for plants, especially veggies, to grow, we are…
Can’t see the Trees for the Lawns?
Each spring and early summer it is amazing how fast grass, weeds and lawns can grow. The combination of longer, warmer days and the occasional shower…
The behind-the-scenes tour of where…
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