How to be more environmentally friendly in your garden starting now

Your garden is one of the most important places in your life - it’s where you can have fun, kick back, sunbathe, or just pass your free time.  But a garden can also have a huge impact on sustaining wildlife and reducing pollution - so we’re looking at a few simple ways to ensure your garden is doing its bit for the environment.   With some easy additions or changes, you can make your garden more attractive and be more environmentally friendly, without spending top dollar.

Add a Wildflower Meadow

Meadow turf is a quick and easy method of creating a wildflower habitat on your property. Traditional Wildflower Meadow Turf has huge benefits over other conventional lawns because it creates an incredible surrounding for both people and wildlife. With wildflower turf, it’s also easy to alter your garden’s colour scheme every year - creating a dynamic and exciting living space outdoors.

Over 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost in Britain since the 1930s - that’s an unbelievable 7.5 million acres.  Grasslands full of native species now cover only 1% of the UK - a terrifying fact considering the biodiversity found in meadows can barely be matched in any other habitat in Britain.

A meadow can support 40 wildlife species per square metre!  Not only that; they capture both rainwater and carbon, reducing flood risk and air pollution.  Adding a few square metres of meadow turf to your garden can more than do your bit for nature. And imagine if every garden in the country did the same...

Our Paving Superstore team has a few firm favourites - we’ve chosen our top picks to make your garden friendlier within a day. With convenient, quick-to-lay options like the MeadowMat for cottage gardens, or MeadowMat Woodland Mix, it’s never been easier to create a real woodland or natural meadow habitat.

Wildflower turf like the MeadowMat for birds and bees comes with a huge array of different unique species; with over forty traditional British wild grasses and flowers, a genuine aesthetic is effortless to achieve.  Enjoy looking out at nectar-rich flowers and seed heads in summer, and continue to sustain birds and other wildlife during the winter.

Use Green Roofing

This is a type of roofing system suitable for buildings or a property with complete or partial vegetation covering. A green roof has a developing platform that is placed over a waterproofing platform or membrane. Green rooftops are growing more and more popular . They provide natural insulation that helps lower energy costs while creating peaceful green spaces for animals and people to enjoy. A green roof is also environmentally friendly as it can help reduce air pollution, absorb rainwater and reduce run-off.

Where to start, though? Look for shed roofing such as Sedum Matting, for a great example of how green roofing can help make your garden area more environmentally friendly straight away. It works brilliantly on your balcony, veranda, shed or even rabbit hutch! So there’s no limit to your creative options.

Add a Water Feature

Water features aren’t just landscape enhancements -  they might bring tranquility and beauty to your outdoor space, but they also provide a crucial habitat and water source for wildlife in the garden.

Particularly for insects and birds, a water feature is one of the most important things you could add to your garden. Water features to check out for inspiration include the Adezz Corten Steel bowl - an excellent water feature which will always blend smoothly with any environment, the Oase-Aquarius Spray Fountain Pump Kit for a professional-looking burst of movement, and the Oase Waterfall Blade Kit for a gorgeous water sheet that won’t distract from your plants. The waterfall blade will disperse the water into a thin sheet over the surface that birds can gently sip from. 

Contemporary water features are increasingly designed to withstand damage from messy plant debris - see the Black Slate Monolith Drilled fountain for a prime example.

It’s always inspiring to have a water feature in an outdoor environment, but they are also now considered vital ecologically in our urban environments.  With so many DIY options at your fingertips, adding a water feature has never been so simple.

Compost

Recyclable organic items are sometimes thought of as and mistaken for waste, but they’re actually a superb way to create top-notch soil conditioning. Compost mixes are rich in nutrients, and with a compost pile like the Forest Slot Down Composter, you can create your own fertilizer with minimal set up.

With a compost pile container, you’re being greener and more environmentally sustainable in your living landscape.  Reduce the kitchen waste you send to landfill whilst benefiting from fully organic, free compost.

To get started, choose a quality composting product that will enhance your garden, time and time again - some great examples include the Forest Beehive Composter for an easy start, and the Forest Slot Down Compost Bin Extension Kit to extend your composting!

There are so many ways to make your garden even greener, and they don’t need to be a huge hassle or expense. A composting system here, some green roofing there, and lush meadow turf in another spot can be all it takes to turn your outdoor space into a living, breathing eco-paradise!