Sustainable Gardening

Gardening is one of my favorite things. I dream of one day having a garden like Oprah or Monty Don (British gardening god). Until then, I putter around my small courtyard full of containers and a few in-ground plants. Sustainable gardening can vary greatly depending on where you live. Implement what you can, and don’t worry about the rest!

Composting

I was recently gifted a free compost tumbler from one of my mom’s friends. She’d purchased it at a garage sale and had never used it, but thought I might. I was THRILLED! I’d wanted to start composting but didn’t have room for a pile and didn’t want to spend the money on a tumbler. 

Composting is a win-win. You don’t have to buy compost from a garden center, it’s great for your plants, and it can eliminate quite a bit of waste from your trash. I won’t go into the specifics of what to compost, the balance, etc., because I am still a newbie. There are great resources you can find online. 

If you don’t have a yard, or if your yard is too small for a compost pile or tumbler, you can add some types of food scraps directly to soil. I’d recommend researching first to see if it is appropriate for the plant you plan to put the scraps in. For example, you can put coffee grounds and tea leaves directly into your soil around rose bushes. 

Seed Savers

Seed Savers Exchange is pretty much the only place I buy seeds from now for my garden. They are a non-profit based in Iowa that preserves, grows, and distributes heirloom and rare seed varieties. Their property contains several growing fields, a seed bank, and an orchard. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault contains many of their seeds. 

You can buy seeds directly from their website, or you can search the Exchange. The Exchange is the world’s largest seed exchange and connects gardeners from around the country. You search for seeds or bulbs and deal directly with the person offering them on the Exchange. I’ve gotten garlic bulbs this way from a person in my state since I live in a tricky climate for garlic. 

They have a large variety of seeds, as well as some transplants for sale. I especially like knowing that my seed purchase is supporting the preservation of biodiversity. 

What to Grow

There are a couple of things to consider when deciding what to plant in your garden. The first is what is going to bring you joy to see each day. Next is whether you want your garden to be exclusively ornamental or  to be able to use some of what you plant. The last is what suits your zone. 

If you don’t want an exclusively ornamental garden, pick herbs, veggies, and fruits that are suited to your growing zone. You’ll also need to decide if you’re wanting perennials or annuals, as that is tied to your growing zone as well. Then from those options be sure to choose ones you will actually use! If kale is great for your zone, but you hate kale, then that’s not a great choice for your garden.

Part of having a sustainable garden is planting things that are either native to your area or grow easily in your zone so you can conserve water. As someone who lives in the desert currently but loves green things, this is a struggle for me! I try to have a balance of plants that bring me joy (that’s what gardening is for after all!) and plants that don’t require much water. 

Pots & Containers

As I mentioned, my garden consists mostly of pots and containers. I live in the desert and it is consistently 100℉ & up for most of summer. I’d love to have all terra cotta pots like Monty Don does. They are a sustainable choice. However, I would never stop watering my plants because terra cotta also dries out super fast in the heat of the sun.

Glazed terracotta is an option, but those tend to cost A LOT more than their unglazed cousins. Wood is another sustainable choice, but again it doesn’t stand up well to the heat and sun. My raised vegetable bed is wood and is desperately in need of oiling even though it is mostly in shade.

If any of the options I’ve mentioned already will work in your garden, that is fantastic! You should totally go for one or more of them. But if you live someplace like I do, don’t feel guilt and shame if you use plastic pots. Nearly all of my pots are plastic. I know, gasp! Horror! They are the only pots I’ve found that are both in my price range and stand up to the heat and sun without drying my plants out. I use the same ones every year. 

I am not the person who is screaming out that all plastic is bad and you shouldn’t have any in your home, ever. If you make conscious decisions about the plastic that you bring into your life, you’re still doing better than most people in the world. 

Drip Irrigation

Conserving water is super important in the desert, which is where I’ve spent most of my life. As climate change occurs it is becoming more important in other places, too. One way to conserve water in gardening is to install drip irrigation. It uses less water and is actually better for your plants. I installed drip irrigation a couple years ago and my plants are thriving like never before. I don’t even have to water every day anymore! It has been life-changing for me. 

If you live in an apartment or somewhere else that drip irrigation seems excessive or unfeasible, try watering spikes. These slide onto the tops of wine bottles that you fill with water and then stick in the soil. When they’re empty, you take the bottle out, refill it, and then stick it back in. It’s a great way to keep your plants happy and reuse bottles.

I hope you found some helpful tips for more sustainable gardening. Gardening can bring such joy and is a great way to help pollinators.

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