By Megan Stouffer, Digital Marketing Coordinator, New England Botanic Garden
March 2024
Spring is nearing, and with it comes thoughts of warmer temperatures, longer days, and of course, gardening! As the new growing season approaches, you may want to consider opting for more sustainable practices in your gardening experience. But creating a more sustainable garden can seem daunting for new and seasoned gardeners alike. With many methods to choose from, it’s hard to know what types of sustainable changes will work best and have the biggest impact. But don’t fret! We’ve gathered some recommendations that offer you a great way to get started.
Use – and reuse – what you have
Having the newest, most eco-friendly gardening products is only helpful to the environment if you truly need them. In fact, increased consumption defeats the purpose of trying to be sustainable. Taking a second look at items you may think of as trash or waste can create great opportunities for us to reuse and recycle. That old egg carton you’re about to throw away? It can be used as a makeshift planting tray for seed starting. And the twigs and leaves you collected last fall can be used to fill the bottom of raised beds while also providing some much-needed organic material for your soil and plants. If you have plastic items, like planting trays or pots, that are in good condition, keep using them! They’re better off with you than sitting in a landfill.
Put your compost pile to use
Composting offers various benefits including improving soil health, recycling important nutrients, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfills. Once your compost is ready, begin adding it to your garden. Different plants and soil conditions will require different amounts of compost, giving you a great chance to get to know your plants and soil better.
If you haven’t started a compost pile at home, there’s no better time to begin. Garden CEO Grace Elton offers some tips and tricks for at-home composting in the Garden’s monthly column with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Plant natives and perennials
Native plants support native insects and wildlife. It’s win-win — your garden looks amazing and your local ecosystem benefits. Native plants are not only more likely to establish more quickly in your garden, but because they naturally occur in your local environment, native plants are more likely to be hardy and healthy, needing less maintenance from you. Be sure to save your seeds at the end of each season as well! This not only helps prepare you for the