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Stepping it up with sustainable gardening methods

Being more sustainable is a hot topic in horticulture, especially at the big shows like the Chelsea Flower Show and Gardeners’ World Live this year. It’s all about being more thoughtful about how you garden and using sustainable gardening methods. You may be wondering, after hearing all about the buzz surrounding sustainability in our gardens, how to make less of an environmental impact in your own garden. Well, gardening friends – this is the blog for you!

How to make your garden more sustainable

With nearly 30 million gardeners in the UK, small changes can make a big impact. Why not make your own start by taking a look at these ideas from our team? Let’s start off this sustainable gardening party right!

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

OK, we admit it. We’ve been seduced by garden centre displays, running around like kids in a sweet shop grabbing everything colourful. The trouble is, anything in flower is often an annual. And annuals only last a few months. It’s better to do your research and mix in perennial plants and shrubs which come back year after year.

It really is a case of “right place, right plant” too. Don’t waste a lot of money, and the effort put into raising and transporting plants, by planting a shade lover in full sun or the opposite way round. Check that label!

Grow your own

There are an eye-watering number of food miles involved in transporting out of season fruit and veg to the UK. If you don’t have room for raised beds, why not try growing vegetables in pots?

Cut down on single use plastic

When we exhibited at Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham back in June, we were delighted to see their ‘swapsie’ service. Here customers could transfer their plants into cardboard takeaway boxes. Hopefully this will catch on in garden centres.

Meanwhile, try to re-use any plastic pots you have. Or recycle them if your council allows it. We’ve also lots of suggestions for compostable plant pots, from egg shells to cute coir pots!

Install a water butt

Water butts are a win-win all round. Plants prefer rain water to chlorinated tap water and you’ll save on your water meter. Check out water butt recommendations by GardenLife which include slimline options.

Share the love

Collecting seeds is a great way to expand your garden. But if you hanker after something new, head to your local seed swap. You’re bound to meet some fellow gardening addicts, plus pick up some tips too! Just search on social media.

Gold stars all round with sustainable compost

Making your own recycled compost is the ultimate in sustainability. But if you’re getting impatient, all our compost blends are peat-free and organic.

Simple sustainable garden projects

Go green

From bin stores to roof extensions, growing plants on high can transform your space. We love Countryfile’s step-by-step guide to how to make a green roof on a shed.

Soak it up

Rainwater needs some way of soaking away into the ground, but gets blocked by tarmac or paving. Gravel, brick pavers or the sci fi-sounding ‘matrix’ pavers help decrease flooding. There are some great grass reinforcement products too, which allow you to park your car or use your wheelchair on grass without skidding.

Seed your boundaries

If you’re tired of shelling out for new fencing after each big storm, you could ‘hedge’ your bets instead! Hedges are great noise dampeners and mixing up species will attract wildlife. You don’t need to wait an age for one to grow either, as you can buy mature plants ready-grown.

Branching out

Can you squeeze in a tree? Trees drink in carbon dioxide, kick out oxygen, fruiting varieties blossom in spring and give stunning autumn colour. The RHS explains how to grow trees in pots if you’re pushed for space.

Creating an indoor sustainable garden

You can definitely bring the outside in and be sustainable. Some tips include:

• Place pots near a window and use mirrors to maximise the light.
• Use the tower garden watering system. This is where you stack pots in a shower or bath, water the ‘top’ plant, and allow it to trickle down to the plants underneath
• Fill your bathroom with plants who love it humid like snake plant, Boston ferns, pothos and aloe vera.
• Hang plants from the ceiling or trail them along up high – Command strip hooks designed for fairy lights are great for trailing plants!

Tips from our ‘Sustainable Gardening’ online advice library

On the lookout for more tips and hints? Our blogs are packed with advice:

• Sustainable Gardening blog section
• Using toilet roll tubes for planting
• How to keep plants warm in winter

Calling all sustainable gardening heroes!

Have you any sustainable gardening methods we’ve missed? We’d love to you’re your suggestions. Please post your pictures and tag @cocoandcoir on Instagram.  We’ll credit you for any images we use and you’ll also be in with a chance to win some Coco & Coir goodies for your sustainable garden.