ThisEarth Day is the perfect time to make a difference in your community. How about starting a small garden in your neighbourhood? Get those green fingers going without having to empty your bank account.
Why a community garden?
A community garden is a common space where the people living in the area collectively grow vegetables, fruit or flowers and share responsibility for its maintenance. Community gardens come with benefits such as bringing people together and providing a healthy food source for communities where food is not easy to come by. There are also some environmental benefits, such as encouraging the growth of plants that attract pollinators, creating a friendly environment for bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators.Plants are also known to cause an area to have cooler temperatures compared to places that are paved. With a community garden, you could harvest so much that it would not only be enough to be shared among community members, but also the less fortunate outside of the area.
Choose low-maintenance plants
Regularly tending a garden is not always possible, so it’s best to choose plants that don’t require you to be constantly checking on them. Low-maintenance plants adapt more easily to the climate and planting conditions. They have a longer life span, which means you’ll save money. Some low-maintenance vegetables and herbs to consider are:
If you’re also looking to make your community aesthetically pleasing – with minimal labour! – consider water-wise plants.
Avoid harmful pesticides
Creating your own natural pesticides will definitely save you a buck and also make your gardening experience easier. Try some of these solutions:
Make your own compost
Compost acts as a conditioner for your soil. This means that adds moisture to your soil and infuses it with nutrients, which your plants feed from. A good compost is composed of a balance of carbon-based and nitrogen-based material. Some of the compost materials you can use come from everyday items. Consider some of these items to get your compost going:
It is important to note that these materials work together and not independently. They also need to be used in moderation, so watch a video or two on how to use them before getting started.
Ecofriendly living
Building a garden for your community may not be possible, but you can still make your contribution to the wellness of planet Earth by making greener choices. Changing the world happens one small step at a time. Consider integrating this lifestyle choice into your daily living:
Days like Earth Day were created to raise awareness about the environmental issues that impact us all as the human race. You don’t need much to make a positive difference on Earth – so what are you waiting for? Go green!
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