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Sustainable gardening

Your garden can be a beautiful place that creates a positive impact on the environment. Gardens are also a great refuge for animals, a source of biodiversity and can help control water runoff.

A healthy and sustainable garden can also be used to grow fresh food and may enhance the value of your property.

Unfortunately, some gardens can also have a negative impact on your environment. These gardens can:

• introduce harmful pesticides and fertilisers to the environment
• spread weeds into natural areas and harm biodiversity
• attract pests and reduce the amount of native animals
• waste large amounts of water.

How can I make my garden more sustainable?

Some easy ways you can make your garden more environmentally friendly and sustainable are:

• tackle any weeds and remove them from the garden
• use water efficiently in your garden and save money on your bills
• capture your rainwater or greywater and use it on the garden
• save your food scraps from landfill and create a worm farm
• learn how to use mulch, compost or worm castings and improve your soil
• grow your own fresh food
• use native plants in your garden and attract native animals
• ask your local council how you can protect and regenerate your community’s garden – the local bushland
• learn how to use pesticides as safely as possible or avoid them completely.