7 Huge Tips for Creating a More Sustainable Backyard

In January, a new poll found that 77% of people want to live more sustainable lifestyles. However, many people are still not sure what steps they can take to do so.

As the saying goes, important change always starts at home. If you are committed to living in eco-friendly lifestyle, then you will want to take the right steps to lower your carbon footprint in your home. You will also want to trying to make sure that your backyard is eco-friendly.

Improving your home’s energy efficiency is as important as improving your car’s fuel efficiency. You will want to consider insulating your home and using energy-saving windows, a programmable thermostat, and lightbulbs. Some states offer incentives for greening your home at low or no cost. You can also contact your energy provider for free energy audits or recommendations or replace your windows to be eco-friendlier.

However, many people don’t recognize the benefits of making their backyard more sustainable. Here are some important guidelines to consider.

Make your backyard more sustainable to help the planet

Better Homes and Gardens has some great advice for people that want to make their backyard eco-friendlier. However, we wanted to cover some additional topics that you may not have thought about.

Having a nice backyard can be one of the best parts of homeownership. A patch of outdoor space behind the home can offer so many possibilities. It can be a place for your kids to play, for relaxing after work, entertaining friends, and more.

However, many people are starting to realize that the traditional backyard is not eco-friendly. It might consume a lot of water or require various chemicals to maintain. Along with that, some landscape designs might disrupt the natural ecosystem around the property.

That is why more people are looking for ways to make their yards more sustainable. With this post, we will provide a few tips to help homeowners looking to create a more sustainable backyard.

Reduce Lawn Coverage

Your lush, green lawn might look nice, but it is one of the biggest factors affecting the environmental impact of your backyard. Maintaining a green lawn requires a lot of water. Along with that, you might be using various fertilizers and herbicides to keep the lawn looking good.

If you want to make your yard more sustainable, you need to reduce the area the lawn covers or get rid of it altogether. For example, you could hardscape more areas or use mulch in different places. Looking for alternative ground cover could be another option. Some homeowners might consider artificial turf as an alternative.

Try Organic Gardening

What if you want to keep a little grass or have a few plants that need more care than nature can provide? Instead of using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, switch to organic gardening. It might require a little more work, but it will make your yard healthier and more sustainable. Whether it is your garden or your lawn, there are organic alternatives you can use to maintain the plants.

Start Composting

One way to start organic gardening is to use various forms of waste as fertilizer. You can do this simply by saving food scraps and adding them to the garden, but you can get even more from the waste if you start composting. Even better, you are making your home more sustainable by using things that would otherwise end up in the trash.

There are various methods for composting. Some people create compost pits, while others might build or buy compost bins. The important thing is that the compost has sun exposure and soil. Once you have a composting method, you can add old food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, and more. It is free fertilizer, and it can be just as effective as the stuff you buy at the store.

Switch to Native Plants

Another mistake many people make is having plants that are not native to the local ecosystem. These plants often require more water, fertilizer, and other forms of care to keep them healthy. If you want to make a more sustainable yard, you need to remove the non-native plants and look for alternatives that are better suited to the local environment. You need to consider your climate, the soil conditions, and more when selecting plants.

Remove Water Features

If you have any water features in your yard, they need to be removed. It is difficult to maintain a sustainable yard when you have something like a pool or fountain. They use a lot of water unnecessarily. Some water features may also require various chemicals to maintain water quality. Swimming pools can be especially bad for yard sustainability.

According to an expert from one of the top demolition companies in Phoenix, “Pool removal can have several benefits. You’ll save a considerable amount of water without a pool. You also won’t have to worry about pool maintenance. It will also mean no more pool chemicals being used around the house. Beyond that, there is also the reality that pools can be a hazard.”

Install Solar Lights

Backyard lights are important for safety. You need to see when you are outside at night. They can also help make the outdoor space more usable in the evenings. If you want to make your yard more sustainable, you should consider installing solar lights in your backyard. The right solar lighting systems can work just as well as regular lights. Along with making the yard more sustainable, solar lights can also help you save money on electricity.

Use Rainwater

If you want to be sustainable, you need to rely on rainwater for as much of your gardening as possible. If you design your yard well, the natural rainfall might be enough. However, you could also consider rainwater harvesting. That way, you can use more of the rainwater and avoid turning on hoses or sprinklers to water plants in your yard.

One simple way to do this is to leave watering cans and buckets out in places that will be exposed to rain. The containers can collect water for you to use when you are gardening. If you want to go the extra mile to increase sustainability, you could build a rainwater harvesting system. These systems channel water to large storage barrels to get the most from rainwater.

The effort toward a sustainable yard can reduce your impact on the environment. It can also save money on electricity and water. With the tips in this post, you can create a yard that is enjoyable while being better for the environment.