Do you have a backyard garden? Well, you already know you should be composting and using natural methods to repel insects. Consider these additional steps to make your garden as green as possible:
• Go native. Learn which plants are native to your geography. Native plants are easier to maintain and more pest resistant. That’s how they survived all these years without our help.
• Barrel up rainwater instead of using your town/city water supply. You can go basic and just put the barrels out there on the lawn or under a shortened gutter pipe, or you can make your rainwater collection system as complex as you like. Learn more HERE.
• Don’t forget the butterflies and bees. If your garden is pesticide free, consider growing native flowers that attract butterflies and bees. You’ll help keep our pollinators alive and healthy and contribute to keeping our food supply intact. Learn more HERE.
America is covered by an estimated 40 million acres of lawns, making lawn grass our largest irrigated crop. And we use millions of pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep our grass green and pretty. Unfortunately the chemicals can end up in our lakes, oceans and water supply. We also water the grass using millions of gallons of water––sometimes with our sprinklers running even on rainy days.
Ava Marie Fantasia is a Marketing Team Leader and Community Liaison at Whole Foods Market in Newton.
Recently on Twitter