Natural Gardening

Natural Gardening

Get your garden off drugs!

Gardening without the use of herbicides and pesticides can make your lawn and garden healthier and safer for you, your family and your pets. Healthy plants can fend off weeds, pests and diseases naturally--without chemical treatments. But to have healthy plants, you must have healthy soil. Pesticides make soil vulnerable to weeds and pests because the chemicals kill beneficial insects and microorganisms.

Inappropriate soil pH can make your garden and lawn a breeding ground for certain kinds of weeds. It is a good idea to test your soil pH and analyze your levels of organic nutrients. Home testing kits are available at garden centres and hardware stores.

A great way to add nutrients to your soil is to add compost. Compost is a natural potting soil made from garden waste and kitchen scraps. For more details, check out our composting section.

Eco-Friendly Garden Recipes

Posted:
April 26, 2011 - 3:07pm

Beneficial Insects

Large dark brown or black beetle with grooves down its backMany insects in your garden are predators and therefore help control the populations of harmful insects. Any measures you take to kill insects should be undertaken with care to avoid harming beneficial insects...in fact, 95% of insects are beneficial to your garden! They help aerate the soil, break down organic matter, store nutrients, pollinate flowers and eat harmful insects...and they do it all for free! 

Making your Garden Inviting to Beneficial Insects and Animals

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Companion Gardening

Planting certain plants together can enhance growth and nearly eliminate some pest and disease problems. On the flip side, planting other combinations together can hinder growth.

 

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Water Wise

During the summer, 50% of our household water is used outside to keep our lawns and gardens green. You can reverse the trend by planting native species and other drought resistant plants. Plants from around the world are adapted to grow with little or no supplemental water. These plants are termed “xeric” and include many plants native to our own region. These plants are not only pleasing to look at but also low maintenance. The word "Xeriscape" is derived from the Greek word xeros meaning dry, and scape, the last syllable of landscape.

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