This is a guest post by Jason Williams of StormSafety.org, a website dedicated to providing information to help people be prepared for storms. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not imply endorsement by Dogwood Alliance.

There’s no disputing the fact that a garden is a very good addition to your home, making gardening among the most worthwhile hobbies you can pursue. However, if you’re going to put in all that effort into your garden, you want to make sure that your garden serves the environment, too. Get to know the nitty-gritty of eco-friendly and water-conscious gardening by checking out the resources below.

Gardening Basics

Gardening is widely regarded as a very healthy activity — not only enhancing overall wellness but also contributing to the health of the environment. Learning the ins and outs of this amazing pastime will ensure that you do it right, so benefits are enjoyed all around.

• If you want to start a garden, especially as a beginner, taking the time to tackle the basics is absolutely necessary.
• You’ll want to learn the requisite skills and methods, from composting to irrigation.
• Getting to know the process of mulching is also crucial as it makes a garden more attractive and contributes to better water utilization.
• Most importantly, you’ll want to carefully choose what to plant in your garden, so it’s healthy, cost-effective, and sustainable.

Sustainable Steps

While gardening at its very core is already environmentally-friendly, there are always opportunities to adopt eco-friendlier methods, particularly in how your garden utilizes water. Let’s take a closer look at the ways you can create a more sustainable and water-conscious garden.

• There’s a good number of ecologically-sound gardening techniques that you can employ to ensure that you’re doing your part to preserve and support the environment.
• Making use of water-saving tactics is absolutely essential to eliminate inefficiency in the use of such a precious resource.
• Explore the principles of xeriscaping (also known as dry-scaping: a set of principles for water-wise landscaping) for more reliable water management that you can easily sustain for the long term.
• Remember that your efforts are essential when it comes to standing up and protecting the environment, and a water-conscious garden is a wonderful way to contribute.

Essential Additions

Appropriate eco-friendly practices will undoubtedly improve your garden’s water consumption by leaps and bounds. Look into taking this important initiative to the next level with easy additions that are well worth the expense.

• Conserving water in your garden will usually entail investing in things like adjustable sprinklers, a water timer, etc.
• Despite the installation costs, an outdoor misting system is also a great addition to help your garden retain moisture and also keep you cool outdoors.
• A rain barrel can be a useful investment, too — and a cost-effective one.
• Investing in a rain gauge will help you make more efficient use of rain, minus the guesswork.

Yes, gardening is already a worthwhile activity, but why stop there when you can truly contribute to the greater good by keeping your garden’s water consumption in check? As far as environmental contributions go, this may be a humble one, but the impact is anything but.

And… Action!

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