Sustainable Gardening
Landscape gardening companies take great care with the materials they use when designing landscape gardens. For us here at DPM, creating beautiful landscapes and restoring the beauty in our customers’ gardens is always our main objective no matter what type of domestic or commercial project we take on. But it does help if products are responsibly sourced and have not been manufactured at huge expense to the ecosystem.
When making structural changes to a garden, it’s worth focusing on what eco-friendly decisions can be made as far as the garden design goes. In our previous blog (which you can read here) we looked at some environmentally-friendly alternatives to common garden maintenance products like fertilisers, pesticides and peat. Here, we will continue our focus on what environmentally-friendly products can be used in your landscape garden.
Timber
Timber is a versatile and aesthetically pleasing product to use in a garden, because it’s very natural-looking. On top of that, ‘green’ materials sourced and made by local communities are great for a garden to be sustainable. Using locally sourced timber reduces the carbon footprint attached to them, where there is no need to have the materials sent from far-away locations in the country. Purchasing timber from sustainably managed sources ensures that you are keeping the demand for this material high, while promoting the production and use of a ‘green’ material.
Pressure-treated timber is often used to create durable and visually attractive landscape gardens. The material’s natural look and great strength means landscape gardeners can use it for multiple purposes. Additionally, garden fencing timber and patio timber also make for creative and robust boundaries to any garden, with the material seamlessly blending into the garden it surrounds.
The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is responsible for sourcing sustainable and eco-friendly wood and timber across the UK.
Paving Slabs
The environmental cost of importing paving slabs is very high. The energy of transporting the stone to the UK means the carbon footprint of imported paving is higher than say, using UK-sourced natural paving slabs. If you are considering hiring a landscape gardening company to lay brand new paving down (for example, on your driveway) one option would be to use slabs manufactured in the UK. When using concrete, you could potentially ask your local landscape gardeners to source a mix that uses recycled aggregates in the concrete, if you’re after an eco-friendly option.
Another good option would be to re-use paving slabs as well as other materials such as stones, bricks and cobbles.
Set paving in sand, as opposed to mortar, so rainwater can make its way through any gaps. Other ideas include laying permeable materials down. On a related note, DPM are specialists in installing resin bound driveways which are recommended if you want an area to provide natural drainage of water.
If you are less concerned about the structure of your landscape garden, there are some other small changes you can make to improve its overall environmental friendliness.
Water Conservation
If you live in dry parts of the UK, you could still collect considerable amounts of rainwater from your roof. Water conservation is incredibly eco-friendly, and every drop goes a long way. Collecting rainwater via a rain garden is one option, or alternatively, using water butts is a good idea, and one which is easier than you might think. Just simply divert the water from the drainpipe into a container. One downside is the majority of water butts are made from plastic, however, that is not to say you can’t use other products like used rubbish bins as an alternative, if you want to avoid purchasing new plastic products.
Mulching is one of the best moisture-holding methods you can do for your garden. It stops evaporation from the soil surface, prevents weeds from growing and also gives soil some much-needed nutrients. Coarse mulch allows water to move through the soil effectively as this doesn’t clump as much.
Landscape Gardening for the Environment
Just by taking small steps in improving your garden’s environmental impact can go a long way. By incorporating some of these minor changes, and speaking to a landscape gardening company in Surrey who can design your garden with your environmental concerns in mind, you can make great strides in ensuring your garden is as environmentally-friendly as can be.
DPM have many years of experience in all aspects of property maintenance, not just landscape garden maintenance and design. These include:
- Painting and decorating services
- Block paving driveways
- Garden fence design
- Bathrooms
- Plumbing services
If you would like some help designing an eco-friendly garden, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today. We offer a free, no-obligation quote.
