How to Create an Environmentally Friendly Oasis in Your Backyard

Sarah Jessica Smith - Contributor

Posted on Saturday 24th October 2020

 

Owning a large backyard isn’t an advantage until you spruce out the exterior living space so it becomes one with nature. Creating an environmentally friendly oasis on your property is easier than you might think at first if you stick to the following 7 principles.

Recycle and repurpose everything you can

There is hardly a homeowner who doesn’t use at least one section of his backyard as a provisional dumpsite. Chairs with broken legs, wooden panels, broken appliances; the list of junk you have lying around your backyard is endless.

Instead of calling a skip bin and chucking everything inside it, try to salvage as much as possible. Sustainably is essential if you want to protect the environment, so decide what type of waste is recyclable and what items you can repair and/or repurpose.

For instance, the old car or tractor tires can start a new life as flower beds. The debris from tearing down a wall can be reused to make the hearth for the fire pit or you can use the bricks from a former wall to pave garden pathways.

Avoid the use of chemicals

Speaking of the garden, you want it to be verdant and well-maintained but you shouldn’t accomplish this at the expense of the environment. Namely, many homeowners decide to take a shortcut and use pesticides and herbicides to help the garden flourish in no time.

However, extensive use of potent chemicals poisons the air, water, and earth in the long run. Every time you use these chemicals, they get washed down to the ground and remain there. If you plant vegetables, for example, you are exposing yourself to toxins by consuming these, seemingly organic fruit.

Invest in durability

When it comes to furnishing the backyard, you might be tempted to buy cheap products, from plastic garden chairs to low-quality tiles for pathways. However, everything that sits outside is going to take a beating from the elements, so durability should be the top quality to look for in backyard amenities.

Don’t think of furnishing the backyard as a waste of money but rather perceive it as an investment. Not having to replace the watering hose or the garden bench every two to three years means saving both time and money. Everything you buy for the garden should last at least a decade, with proper maintenance, of course.

The perks of a louvred roof

Among the top investment you are going to make in the backyard, a patio roof is among top priorities. Namely, if you wish to protect the patio from strong sunlight in summer or heavy rainfall in fall, then a louvred roof is the ideal solution. Not only are these roofs made from aluminum so they are lightweight but installing a louvred roof with excellent drainage means you won’t have to deal with residential water damage.

Create animal habitats

A backyard that is deprived of life is not one with nature. For this reason, you should actively seek to attract “good” animals to your property. A yard with luscious flora but without any fauna cannot sustain itself nor can it be considered environmentally friendly.

A small stone birdbath and tree feeders will attract different species of birds whose melodious twitter will resonate through your backyard. Likewise, if you regularly replenish the seeds in feeders, you will attract mammals as well, such as squirrels. Finally, your pet should feel comfortable running around the yard as well.

Water conservation

In fact, you do the exact opposite of exposing your home to water damage: you can preserve water instead of wasting it. If you’re looking to grow a verdant lawn, then be aware that grass and similar plant species are water guzzlers.

Watering them will waste gallons of freshwater, so you need alternatives. One option is to place large water tanks or canisters at the bottom of water sprouts to trap rainwater inside. Then you simply attach the garden hose to the bottom of the barrel and use gravity to water the lawn and other plants that love water.

Going solar

Finally, you should purchase solar-powered lamps that will adorn not just the driveway but footpath at the back of the house as well. You can buy these at any garden center and their price is decreasing over time.

As an alternative, you can install large solar panels on the roof or on slopes down below if your backyard is uneven. If your area gets a lot of sunlight, then you might end up producing power instead of consuming it.

Having put into practice the 7 principles listed above, you will effectively turn your backyard into an oasis of environmental friendliness. The entire family can then enjoy the twitter of birds and the fragrance of flowers.

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