Tag: sustainable living

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

FAQ: How to create a sustainable garden?

Such balanced, consistent, and self-sustained ecosystems require minimal or no intervention, resulting into ecological conservation at a macro level.

At an individual level, choosing eco-friendly materials, native plants, optimising time and resources to create your home garden, makes it sustainable.

Such methods encourage natural ways of –

Growing

(with no frills attached)

Fertilization

(where the kitchen is the gold mine)

Pest control

(when the job can be done gently)

Watering

(when less is more)

Creating a sustainable garden at home requires a holistic approach towards incorporating natural ecosystems at a smaller scale. From the choice of planter materials to the type of plants and maintenance of gardens, one can create a self-sustaining microcosm within the confines of one’s home.
Categories
blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

3 reasons why you don’t need a lawn

A lush green, perfectly manicured lawn is something we all plan to have one day. But what if we told you that you could have something better along with it and that too, with minimal maintenance?

Yes, this is possible. Using sustainable gardening techniques, you can transform your lawn into any lively space you can imagine. From growing your food in small patches or creating a colourful and fragrant flower garden, your lawn can be an oasis of life.

Starting a lawn garden may seem difficult. A little bit of planning and investment in laying the right foundation can make it self-sustainable in the long-run.

Here are the 3 things you could start in your lawn:

Start a small vegetable or herb garden with the help of contemporary raised beds.

Create a colourful border with different flowering plants that are rich in aroma and beauty.

Use your lawn as a green hangout space for the friends of you and nature.

Categories
blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

FAQs: What is the fuss about exotic plants?

If an exotic or non-native plant is introduced in a new country / region, it may thrive equally well like the locals. However, it comes at a cost. Both for you and our environment.

Exotic plants affect the ecological functions in several ways.

Outnumber natives

To survive, exotic plants multiply at a much faster rate than native plants. In the long run, such exotic plants become invasive and push the native plants into extinction.

Degrade soil quality

In the race of survival, exotics end up consuming more nutrients present in the soil. Slowly and gradually, this process deprives native plants of basic nutrition to grow.

Reduce foliage area

Leaf canopy or structure of such plants is usually thin, fragile. Exotic trees such as pine don't let other plants to grow besides them, thus, reducing the green foliage area.

Induce pest attacks

One of the common problems with exotic plantation is frequent pest attacks. Native plants have the immunity to fight known and unknown pests as compared to exotics.

Bring new diseases

Plants from different countries may carry along certain organisms and viruses. Such scenarios can give birth to new diseases among plants on a foreign soil.

A simple observation related to the movement and settlement of birds can give us an idea of this impact.

For instance, birds use their intelligence to recognize exotic trees and avoid building their nests on them in the absence of an alternative. (non-native or exotic trees are weaker in the rooting system as compared to the native trees and are more prone to falling).

On the other hand, invasion, predation of birds is higher when they settle down on exotic trees v/s native, displacing species and eventually leading to their extinction.

Exotic plants are not bad by themselves. They are just plants after all, but happen to be in a different place, unknown environment, and more often bring along a host of issues. The human endeavor to introduce and multiply exotic plants in non-native conditions creates a negative impact on the local ecology.