Landscaping is the process of making your garden or yard more attractive by planting trees, flowering plants and shrubs in an appealing manner. This is an ideal way to beautify your lawn and have a nice part of your house that you can enjoy spending time. Especially, if you are like me, and love to spend time outdoors reading a good book.
A well-maintained landscape is not only pleasing to the eye but is also advantageous to the surrounding environment. The benefits include water filtration, prevention of erosion and reducing dust. Plants and trees also provide shade, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Landscaping tends to be expensive and harmful to the environment; but here are a few ways you can ensure your lawn is cultivated in an eco-friendly way.
1. Native plants
When selecting plants and trees to grow in your yard one should consider native plants. Native plants are a good choice for two reasons 1) they are acclimatized to local climates and rainfall patterns and 2) they are beneficial to local wildlife such as pollinators. They require minimal maintenance because they are naturally resistant to local pests and diseases and seldom need the application of fertilizer and pesticides. An example of a native tree to Kenya is the Meru oak.
2. Habitat for wildlife
Make sure to include flowering plants, vegetables and herbs to your garden. Flowering plants provide pollen and nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects. By planting plants of various species, you can create a mini refuge for pollinators, birds and small animals.
3. Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is a form of landscaping that reduces the need for watering(irrigation). Succulents or drought resistant grass are the most suited for practicing xeriscaping because they tend to be resistant to drought and have water storage adaptability. You do not necessarily have to live in a drought prone area to do this but it is an ideal way to reduce water and overall lower water bills.
Examples of drought resistant grass include Kikuyu grass, Buffalo grass and Bermuda grass. And succulents – Aloe Vera plants and Echeveria elegans.
Plants with similar water requirements should be placed in one part of the garden for efficient irrigation. This will also reduce over watering of plants that do not need extra water.
4. Water harvesting
Harvesting rain water is a great way to collect and conserve water for future use. This water can be used for watering gardens and lawns. The rain water can be collected using barrels or by setting up a system of pipes that connect the gutters to a water tank (water harvesting system). Using rainwater for irrigation will reduce the need for household water hence there will be a saving on water bills.
5. Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides
Before turning to synthetic fertilizers, consider using organic manure or compost in your garden. Compost and manure contain all the nutrients your plants require and will not lead to soil and water pollution like chemical fertilizers.
Similarly, opt for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) instead of chemical pesticides. IPM involves attracting or introducing beneficial insects into your garden that will feed on pests without causing damage to the plants. The most commonly used insects are ladybirds, praying mantises and spiders. Just like chemical fertilizers, pesticides pollute soil, water and air so it’s best to limit their use.
6. Composting
Composting reduces the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills and converts it into a natural and free fertilizer for your garden. It is easy to make at home provided you have soil, a compost bin and warm area. Fruits, vegetables, eggshells and newspapers are examples of organic waste that can be used to make nutrient rich compost.
7. Alternatives to natural grass
Natural grass can be very difficult to grow and maintain; but this can be remedied by finding other alternatives of natural grass such as synthetic grass, hard-scaping and ground cover.
Synthetic grass requires zero maintenance and is safe for kids and pets, and it can keep its appearance for a long time.
Hard-scaping involves cutting back on the size of the lawn to set up either a pathway or gazebo. A gazebo would be a lovely place to entertain guests or have lunch.
Ground cover is usually over-looked in gardening but can be useful to your lawn. Instead of planting grass throughout the lawn you could try planting ground cover (moss, thyme and clovers) in one section. The benefits of groundcover are prevention of erosion and weed establishment.
So here are a few sustainable landscaping tips to incorporate to your lawn. Have you tried any of these tips before? Let me know in the comment section below.
Sources
Nice work Cindy. Keep it up.
As always.. thank you for the support🤗
Wonderful read!
Also, planting fruit trees
Yes, that’s a good tip as well.. thank you Fred😊
Wow, great tips there. I cannot wait to try them out. Thanks Cindy
Thank you Senga.. I appreciate it as always 🙏
good read. the next big thing in expanding cities like nairobi. am glad you promote the use of indigenous species.
keep it up gal.
Thank you for reading :).. very true, plus vertical gardens may become more popular in the future.