With all the buzz about sustainable landscaping we thought we would end the summer season with a post that pays homage to our little green initiatives. While it’s great to get outside and dig your hands into the earth and get reconnect with the land, there are many ways the average home owner can actually be doing harmful things in their own backyard. Thanks to some great city programs, educated journalist and even those big box stores (like Home Depot) we are getting better educated on eco friendly options.
What we are not a fan of: dirty ol gas powered machinery, synthetic fertilizers, mismanaged water usage, poor planting placement, annuals galore, the list goes on and on. A green garden is simply one that touches the land lightly. Keep this in mind when you are looking to change your ways- you don’t have to start over to create your own “greens-cape”, just work at it step by step. The biggest reward for all that hard work, a green garden takes care of itself, working in unison with the natural surroundings, so sit back and enjoy.
Here are some of our favourite green garden gadgets and design ideas:
1) Worm Bins- A compact self-contained unit for your kitchen scraps which gets turned into soil and the best batch of natural fertilizer your garden has ever seen. Think preschool and the good old days digging for these wiggly little guys. Worms are easiest pet to take care of. Visit them 1ce a week with your compost bucket and they will bring you great rich soil and juice for months to come.

2) Push Mowers- Gone are the days that gas powered machinery is cool. Peruse the neighbourhoods of the east side and you will find lots of cute man daddies trolling behind push mowers on a sunny weekend afternoon. You can find old funky versions of these at garage sales and second hand stores. Your lawn will love it as will the air. Statistics show that gas mowers emit as much pollution in 60 minutes as 8 new cars traveling for the same amount of time. Now that’s something to talk about.

3) Rainbarrels- Rain “use it where it falls”. I read this somewhere and just love the term especially in our lovely grey/ wet climate that is Vancouver. We are pretty lucky that we don’t have to pay for water usage like our friends down south, but it doesn’t hurt to get in the habit of being water conscious. Waterbarrels are a cinch to hook up. Simply connect these to a downspout gutter off your house, garage or shed and collect the water as it falls. Hook up at the base to a hose, a sink, or an outdoor shower. Home made, store bought, skies the limit.

4) Salvaged Goods- Some of our favourite design projects at the Aloe Test Garden have been hitting up salvaged yards, used building supply stores and auctions for rare useable goods. A trellis from restaurant kitchen shelving, a bbq pit made of an old baseball stadium lamp, a place to grow potatoes in old coffee sacks, starting seedlings in old tomatoe tins the list goes on. Be creative, think outside the box and you will get that custom look for a fraction of the cost.




5) Veggie Beds- Grow your own food. Plain and simple. If you have land use it. Whether it is raised beds, in-place of a front lawn or mixed in a perennial border, sneak food in your design plan, as the rewards are endless. If you only have containers pack them with herbs. If you have no backyard, join a community garden, this is a great way to get to know your community and be a part of something bigger. The biggest gardening myth is that veggie gardens are a ton of work. But a good soil base, a little TLC and regular watering and voila, you have the best tasting produce right at your doorstep. Easy Peasy 1-2-3.

6) Timeless Furniture- Buy cheap get cheap. Sure we can’t all afford the ever so cool scandinavian modern piece from Design within Reach, but we can take the time to choose our outdoor furniture, just as we would our interior. We all know a home depot special when we see one, and these generally scream, well, Home Depot! Enter Craig’s List. Finding some timeless designs at second hand stores or garage sales and retro fitting them as ‘new’ is a great place to start. And when you get that bonus at work, treat yourself to that beautifully designed ergonomically correct, lounge of all lounge chairs… and sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, with a mojito in hand of course.

We are always curious about other people’s green gardening tips. Drop us a line and tell us your secrets. Together we can build a healthier landscape one garden at a time!