Sweet Greens

If you love to garden, chances are you also love the environment, and you want to do everything in your power to keep it safe and protected. The fact is that there are ways of gardening which are not quite so good for the planet, and there are ways which are much more eco-friendly. In this post, we are going to take a look at how you can design and keep a garden that is much more eco-friendly, and so feel safe knowing that you have done your part in looking after the planet a little better.

Safe Pest Control

It’s perfectly okay to want to manage what animals and insects come into your garden. This can be important for keeping your plants alive, keeping your family safe and ensuring that your pets don’t get into any trouble. But you should make sure that any methods you are using are perfectly ecological and safe, and this is not always the case when it comes to pest control. One of the simplest and most elegant solutions is to ensure you have a well-manicured hedge around your garden, as this will stop most animals from getting into your garden in the first place. With good hedge maintenance, you can keep this barrier up and safely keep pests out without disturbing nature.

Native Plants

There is much talk of native plants in gardening, and with good reason. When you are deciding what plants you should have in your garden, it is often going to be necessary to include native ones wherever possible, as these are so much better for the ecology of the local area. Native plants are simply those that would grow naturally wherever you are in the world. Including only these in your garden will mean that you are helping to boost the ecosystem so much more, and not doing anything to harm it. It’s a simple yet powerful step that every keen gardener can take, and one which you can do today.

Water Conservation

One of the main resources that you use in gardening is water – if not the number one resource of all. If you are keen to ensure that your garden is not harming the planet, you should be careful about how you use water. You don’t want to be using any more than necessary, after all. With that in mind, make sure you know exactly how much or how little water each plant in your garden needs. Overwatering is often going to be simply a waste, and could mean that your plants die out anyway. You should also consider collecting rainwater in a butt and using that rather than tap water wherever possible. This is also going to be healthier for the plants, so it’s a win-win. Conserve water wherever possible if you really want to be eco-friendly in the garden.

These simple changes are going to add up to make a huge difference over time, so make sure that you are taking them on board as soon as possible.

Buying an eco-friendly, plant-based laundry detergent is definitely the way to go. To make your money go further, buy detergent in the largest container possible, and only use 1/2 of the recommended amount. I have found that using 1/2 the amount gets clothes just as clean and if I am dealing with stains, I pre-treat the stain with a diluted eco-friendly detergent or if it is a greasy stain, an eco-friendly dish soap then I wash it with my favorite detergent, Biokleen! 

Is it 5 o’clock yet?

Summer is over! Say it isn’t so, I am NOT ready. It is, however, the perfect time to throw an outdoor cocktail party is fall! Invite your friends, mix a few great drinks with fab garnishes, set a simple spread, and enjoy. If you aren’t a fan of alcohol, you can make great mocktails. Need some mocktail recipes? Leave me a comment.

Choose the drinks: Grab your favorite cocktail book or borrow one for the library and choose 2-4 different cocktails that are fun and out of the ordinary. My favorite cocktail book is Margaritas, Mojitos, and More because it has delicious recipes with beautiful pictures and well, those are my favorite drinks. I highly suggest the Cantaloupe Mojito and Mango Margarita.

Set the Mood: Any outdoor area will do, if you are working with a patio or deck, remove everything and lay down a simple area rug, and place all of your chairs and end tables in great conversation sets. You can also use large pillows and cushions for seating. Arrange potted plants around the seating areas and create an ambiance with great Eco-friendly candles or solar-powered lanterns. Don’t forget to turn on the sound dock with some light and fun music.

Set the Table: Fab your patio table with a beautiful reusable tablecloth, then set up the cocktail station. Use an assortment of bowls to house lemon, orange, and lime slices, cocktail onions, cherries, olives {my fav are blue cheese stuffed green olives} and don’t forget sugar and salt to rim the glasses. A small vase full of colorful licorice sticks makes fun stir sticks and straws. Make your guests feel welcome with lots of munchies to nosh on. Try fresh breadsticks, (standing vertically in a vase), hummus with assorted colorful veggies (straight from the garden), fancy nuts, and chocolate pieces.

This is a simple party to put together but is a lot of fun.

What is your favorite cocktail or mocktail?

It’s fair to say that there is more pressure than ever on the different food resources around the world. One of the ways to alleviate the pressure is to grow your own produce in your garden. Here are some other benefits of exploring this option. 

Get The Kids Outside

An overlooked benefit of growing your own produce is that it does give you a reason to get the kids outside. There’s no reason why you can’t get the whole family involved in this idea. Your kids might love exploring how to prepare their own meals from scratch, including growing their own ingredients. This is a cool skill to teach them, even from a very young age. 

Explore New Recipes

One of the best and brightest benefits of growing your own fruit and veg is that you will be able to use the produce to explore different recipes and meal possibilities. These could be a big hit with your family and ensure that you do get tremendous benefits from options like this. For instance, you could take a look at a vegan chili recipe from The Mediterranean Dish. Going vegan can be difficult because it’s a massive change to your diet. Growing your own veg will make this a lot easier. 

Save Money 

Or, if you are struggling with your monthly budget, then it might interest you to learn that growing your own fruit and veg could save you a lot of money. It will help ensure that you don’t have to spend a fortune on different products in the superstore. It’s true to say that eating healthy can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be when you live off your own plot of land. 

Help The Planet 

Of course one of the best reasons to grow your own veg and set up a little plot in your back garden is that you will be helping to save the planet. Particularly, if you take the right steps. Various research shows that composting – which will help your fruit and veg grow – you also help the planet. You can even ensure that more carbon dioxide is trapped underneath the ground rather than spreading into the atmosphere. So, while simple, this is definitely going to ensure that you’re doing your part to save the planet. 

Be Healthier 

Finally, one of the most important reasons to grow your own fruit and veg in your garden is that it is going to allow you to eat a healthier diet and ensure that your family is following the same diet too. Unfortunately, a lot of farmers are now using a wide range of chemicals in their produce while livestock is being pumped full of drugs. Experts believe that the impact these chemicals have on our body could be wide stretching and even lead to processes such as oxygenation. 

We hope this helps you understand why it is beneficial to grow your own fruit and veg rather than constantly relying on the products that you can buy in the superstore. If you take the right steps here, then you’ll be amazed by the incredible results that you’ll witness.