Gardening is a hobby that will soothe your soul, allow you to express your creative side when plotting out your garden beds and what will go in each one and it’s also a hobby that will get your moving to meet your daily requirement of physical activity without feeling like a workout. Gardening is the type of hobby that checks all the boxes in what you would hope a hobby could and would do you.
But in a society that needs to be focused on sustainability – sometimes it is not enough to just plant fresh produce (vegetables, fruits and herbs) and flowers to maintain a level of green in your backyard. You want to use the power of nature, from the sun to the wind to the water levels, to truly meet your gardening needs. This is an important step in making sure not only does your garden provide you with mental soothing, physical activity, fresh produce if desired but it also helps the environment in the long run.
So that is why today we are going to take a deeper look into how to harness nature for your gardening needs. By doing this, you are making a significant contribution to the environment and helping in the fight against climate change.
Get Your Hands Dirty
The easiest way to harness the power of nature is to use the benefits of Vitamin D that comes from the sun to boost your energy. This newfound energy can then be channeled into completing all the tasks that come with having a garden, whether it is a vegetable or flower garden; maintenance still has to be completed.
Use your hands to dig into the dirt instead of a machine that will require electricity or gas as its main source of power. Not only does this save on non-renewable resources, you will also get the bonus of a more intense workout. Think of using manual hedge trimmers and manual weed eaters to remove unwanted greenery from your yard. You can then use this yard waste in your compost pile that can be broken down, fermented and transformed into a crumbly dry mixture to chalk your garden beds with valuable nutrients. Another bonus of creating your own compost pile: You save on the amount of waste that is put out on the sidewalk as part of your weekly garbage.
Create your own greenhouses from scrap lumber that is lying around your yard and use battery-powered tools when possible during the construction. Not only will a greenhouse allow you to garden year-round, you will be able to clean up your backyard at the same time. Use cordless tools, such as a nail gun (find the best ones here), to tackle those harder jobs
Use the Energy of the Sun
Instead of using expensive and draining grow lights, instead build that greenhouse we just talked about. Using a heavier plastic around the structure will not only protect your plants, it will also heat the interior of the room to provide your plants with a balmy temperature. You will be able to even grow exotic varieties of plants, vegetables and fruits that otherwise wouldn’t do so well in your climate.
Line the pathways to your gardens and even the garden beds themselves with solar-powered lights to provide that perfect soft glow in the evenings. These lights are found everywhere from dollar stores to hardware stores to department stores and charged during the daylight hours to illuminate the area all night long.
Change Your Watering Habits
Instead of reaching for the garden hose each time you need to water your garden, consider investing in a sturdy and durable barrel to collect rainwater. Granted, if it has been raining consistently throughout the day, you don’t need to water your garden beds, but you can still collect the runoff water for future hot days.
Place the barrel in a strategic location in your yard, such as under the eaves of the home or somewhere there is a significant amount of rainfall runoff. Use a screen, such as the kind that covers your windows, to prevent dirt, debris and pests from contaminating the water.
You can then use this filtered water to water your garden beds, wash your car and even fill that kiddie pool if it’s clean enough!
Conclusion
Now that you are aware of how to harness nature for your gardening needs, why not take the weekend to change how a couple things are done for your garden. By using nature, you help the environment without destroying it and you will also notice a significant difference in your plants. Vegetables will be heartier and more robust while fruits will be larger with a sweeter taste. Your herb garden will be the envy of cooks everywhere and your flowers will make people stop to ask “how do you get them to grow so beautifully?” and you will be able to smile while answering; I simply harnessed nature and worked with her instead of hurting her.
If more people use the power of nature to garden and complete other tasks, we might just have a shot at turning our planet into something viable for future generations and future gardeners!