If you aim to spend more time outdoors this year, you’re making a great decision. However, if you don’t have a perfect garden, you might rather choose to stay inside and skip on all the benefits of nature.  Aside from creating a beautiful garden space, you also need to pay attention to eco-friendliness and sustainability in order to provide yourself and your family with the best outdoor experience. So, here’s how you can create your personal piece of eco-friendly heaven.

Words: Amelia Atkins

Remove big grass surfaces
While grass is a frequent choice for outdoor landscape, especially if you’re aiming for a polished and minimalist look, it’s not exactly super eco-friendly. In order for your lawn to stay beautiful and green, it needs plenty of watering, fertilizing and mowing. So, try to reduce the grass area in your backyard and opt for something more eco-friendly like moss, artificial turf or native groundcover. These need minimal maintenance and will still allow you to keep that natural look in your garden.

Invest in hanging gardens
This is a perfect solution to small spaces, but can also come in handy for people who wish to boost their backyard privacy without ruining the aesthetics with plain fencing.  If you opt for a professionally designed vertical garden, your possibilities are almost endless! Your experts will provide you with a setup that can be installed to any proprietary panel and fixing and easily irrigated and maintained. You will really feel like you stepped into a private jungle right in your backyard!Choose durable materials
Your oasis needs cozy seating and practical shelter from the sun and rain. However, if you opt for materials that can’t handle extreme weather, you’ll have to hit the store more often. So, it’s always better to invest in durable materials that will stay attractive for many years to come. Choose sturdy wood, weather-resistant fabrics and wrought iron. All of these will serve you far into the future and allow you to leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Opt for local greenery
While creating a perfect garden oasis involves a lot of greenery, you have to keep in mind that some parts of the world are experiencing a big water shortage. So, if your region struggles with water supply, it’s best to opt for some local flora. These plant types will allow you to be surrounded by greenery without having to waste too much water. Native plants also require very little or zero fertilizing and pruning. They know the soil and are used to your climate conditions.

Add animal-friendly decoration
If you want to share your garden with some friendly critters, make sure to provide them with some shelter in your space. While native plants automatically attract insects and animals, you can also treat them to a few additional items. Birdhouses and bird feeders are very easy to make and they can be designed to perfectly fit your aesthetics. You can also add a water element to your space that will provide hydration for birds and a lovely home for water insects and amphibians. Your kids will absolutely adore interacting with garden visitors and they will learn plenty about nature conservation.

All of these tips and design ideas will allow you to create an outdoor space that will not only look great but also help our planet. Most of these ideas are also very affordable, so you don’t have to worry about breaking your bank in the process! It’s a triple-win situation!