We’re seeing the eclipse of damaging landscaping practices with more sustainable garden landscaping solutions taking centre stage within the industry. In today’s day and age, sculpting your garden doesn’t have to mean eroding the landscape or harming the environment. In fact, it’s easier than ever to create a charming outdoor space that embraces nature in full stride.

What is meant by “sustainable landscaping”?

The discussion surrounding sustainable landscaping has begun to receive more public traction amongst keen gardeners as the climate crisis remains at the forefront of our minds and we are forced to grapple with the question of whether mainstream landscaping can ever be truly “sustainable.” 

As rising global temperatures only continue to increase, impacting the plants we grow, eco-friendly landscaping is not simply a nicety but a necessity if we are to achieve a liveable future.

Sustainable landscaping is thus a practical response to these mounting pressures; the practice of implementing multiple strategies to create an environmentally conscious and climate-appropriate landscape that promotes biodiversity and reduces our ecological footprint.

Where to begin with nurturing a sustainable garden: 5 core principles

Now we’ve covered the basics, where is the best place to start if you want to be greener in the garden? If you want to commit to green living, these 5 key principles will guide you on your sustainable landscaping journey.

Carbon footprint

Many landscaping companies and outdoor furniture retailers are committed to net zero by 2050 and the only way to achieve this is to reduce carbon emissions. As a green thumb and consumer, you can push for this change via collection action and voting with your wallet. This will entail opting for materials and resources with a smaller carbon footprint, or perhaps those sourced more locally.

Wildlife friendliness

As you might expect, ecological consciousness forms a key tenet of sustainable landscaping practices. This means ensuring that you leave a “positive trace” wherever you go. Think encouraging pollinators with insect-friendly flora and fauna, reconsidering pesticide use and methods supporting self-sufficiency.

Climate resilience 

In an ideal world, a garden or landscape should sustain itself over time with minimal maintenance, and this is true of responsible, sustainable landscaping. These practices focus on propagating plants that can survive harsher conditions and help us to preserve local ecosystems.

Material waste

Next up on this list, we have the reduction of material waste. As a society, we have become very used to replacing things once they have fallen out of popularity and well before they have come to the end of their lifespan. 

One way of gardening more sustainably is avoiding falling into this trap and making superior design choices that centre longevity. We can also limit the number of products we purchase with disposable and plastic packaging.

Socio-cultural impact

Another important aspect of garden sustainability is grounded in ethical production, management and conduct. This has large-reaching implications and means that outdoor spaces should reflect the local environment and blend into the existing surroundings.

On a more granular level, you should also be thinking about how ethical the products you are purchasing are. Look out for information on supply chain transparency, fair wages for workers and meaningful sustainability policies from retailers and suppliers.

10 sustainable garden landscaping ideas

By now, you’ll be well aware of the plethora of opportunities to become more eco-friendly in the garden. Here are just 10 sustainable landscaping solutions you can implement for a greener home.

1. Restore, protect and multiple native plants 

When it comes to sustainable landscaping, monocultures are a no-no. To improve the environmental credentials of your patch help, promote climate resilience by planting a mixture of native plants, successional blooms and hard-wearing species such as hebes, lavenders, buddleias and rosemary. Another option is to allow grass to grow longer between cutting so it is more resistant to heat waves and drying out.

2. Incorporate animal shelters

If you improve the ecological conditions of your garden, a whole host of wild critters will begin to visit your outdoor spaces. In this case, you may want to accommodate them with animal shelters, untidy spots for rewilding and water habitats for amphibian friends.

3. Reduce or eliminate fuel emissions from machinery

Green landscaping requires us to be conscious of our CO2 emissions. This means rethinking our use of lawnmowers, snow blowers, chainsaws, leaf vacuums, and other outdoor power tools. Always opt for those with electrical engines or manual tools such as push reel mowers and hand tools if you want to go the extra mile.

4. Ditch peat soil for mulch and compost

Peat soil is a non-renewable resource that contributes towards climate change by releasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Instead of using this problematic fertiliser, try out one of the many resourceful alternatives natural landscaping has to offer: let grass clippings decompose onto your lawn (grasscycling) and apply compost and mulch to inject nutrients into your soil.

Often known as xeriscaping, natural landscaping is also a brilliant timesaver as less water, fertiliser and pest control is required than planting non-native species unsuited to the soil conditions.

5. Try organic pest control

Traditional landscapers are often criticised for using methods, typically pesticides, which harm crucial pollinators such as bees and leach into rivers, leading to a whole host of other problems. But it’s not all doom and gloom, you can control pests without having to look to chemicals. 

Organic pest control methods include companion planting to dissuade pests from eating vulnerable plants, creating natural barriers, water spraying, natural predation and purchasing organic pest control sprays from responsible retailers.

6. Choose natural materials for hardscaping 

Not only does hardscaping with natural materials such as old logs and rocks provide a stunning rustic feel for your garden, but it is a far eco-friendlier alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic materials. Enhance your curb appeal by blending in natural elements with your home’s façade and create the optimal conditions for your plants to thrive.

7. Favour water butts over sprinklers

In our current climate, preserving water has never been more crucial. Increasingly, individuals, businesses and organisations are turning to water preservation methods such as ditching the garden hose for water butts, rainwater harvesting systems or planting a dry or Mediterranean garden as opposed to a grassy English one. Whatever the scale, saving precious water adds up over time, so ensure you take the right precautions to do so.

8. Select garden furniture built from more sustainable materials

When furnishing seating and dining zones in your outdoor space ensure that the garden furniture you select is built to last. A flagship method for building a sustainable garden is sourcing manufacturing and materials with a reduced environmental impact; locally and responsibly sourced materials are a must.

9. Incorporate recycling and upcycling

Using upcycled and recycled materials for the construction, installation or upkeep of your garden features is a resourceful way to reduce waste and create visual intrigue on your plot. From reclaimed railway sleeper retaining walls to raised beds made from used furniture, truly the options are endless. 

And the same goes for food and plant waste, which can be turned into compost and added to the land, improving soil texture, and thereby allowing water to permeate more easily and reducing surface runoff. It’s good for your garden’s longevity and healthy for the plants.

10. Shrink your lawn space

We’re not instructing you to ditch the lawn completely if that’s not what you want, but reducing its size and rethinking its significance in your overall landscape design may prove fruitful. 

This is because lawns – of course, a human invention – create monocultures that contrast sharply with native ecosystems, and this is before we even mention the amount of water required to prevent your grassy turf from becoming a scorched patch during the summer!

Enjoy making the change

Transforming your outdoor spaces into environmentally conscious havens doesn’t have to be boring, nor does it have to be difficult. We hope that these sustainable garden landscaping solutions have proven just that. Now all that remains is for you to try your hand at them – good luck!

Author: Evelyn Lily Interiors

Cover image by Jan Canty on Unsplash