The outdoor areas around your home are ideal for relaxation, fun, and interesting activities, allowing you to unwind in a beautiful natural setting that’s still private, intimate, and entirely yours. And if you adhere to a more sustainable way of life, you’ll be pleased to know there are a number of ways you might be able to create the perfect garden oasis, while still being kind to the environment.
Whether you are looking for green décor options or eco-friendly landscaping ideas, here are some of the best tips for creating a more sustainable and low-maintenance outdoor living space:
Prioritize green materials
When designing an eco-friendly backyard, the materials you select for your projects are incredibly important due to their environmental impact. Even though materials like concrete and PVC, for instance, might be popular for paving and decking, they are also quite unsustainable materials that produce large amounts of waste, and can’t later be recycled or repurposed.
Instead, you might want to consider using reclaimed wood or bamboo for any decks and porches you might be building, while materials such as gravel, stone, and brick might be better options for potential walkways and pathways, being more sustainable alternatives to traditional building materials.
Use repurposed furniture and décor
When it comes to furnishing your outdoor living space, materials like wood, bamboo, and stone could also be great options. However, if you want to make your furniture even more sustainable, it’s recommended to opt for repurposed alternatives, such as creating a seating area and tables from old wood pallets.
For outdoor décor such as pots, vases, statues, decorative pillows, and other accessories, it might be best to visit second-hand shops, yard sales, or even repurpose some old home décor you might already own. If that’s not an option, materials like organic cotton, jute, cork, or even glass can all be wonderful green choices.
Build a fence from recyclable materials
If you wish to increase the safety and the privacy of your outdoor space, or simply separate different areas within your garden, fences are the ideal solution. In an effort to build an eco-friendly fence, it would be best to opt for steel or aluminum fencing products from Fencing Components that are as sturdy and durable as they are aesthetically pleasing.
As these materials don’t rust or lose their color easily, they are more sustainable than wood alternatives that break easily and need to be repainted frequently. What’s more, both steel and aluminum can be infinitely recycled, making these fences one of the best and most eco-friendly options overall.
Choose energy-efficient lighting
Lighting is essential for illuminating pathways, highlighting particular landscaping features, or simply creating the right atmosphere in your outdoor living space. However, if you currently have older, more outdated lighting fixtures in your garden, you might be unknowingly and unnecessarily wasting precious energy. For greener outdoor lighting, it’s recommended to replace any incandescent lightbulbs with LED lights that glow brighter while wasting less energy.
To save on energy even further, you could also opt for motion-sensor lights to only illuminate walkways when needed, as well as solar-powered fixtures that could charge throughout the day and provide lighting at night, wasting no electric energy at all in the process.
Use native plants for landscaping
Landscaping is a simple way to create an eco-friendly backyard and add to its visual appeal while making for a more comfortable and pleasant living space. But if not done correctly, it can also be quite damaging to the environment, especially if you’re introducing new species that might be too invasive to the ecosystem.
So, whether you are planting a vegetable garden, designing a flower display, or simply planting trees, make sure the plants you select are native to your local area. When it comes to decorating your garden, you could also use more sustainable options such as natural stones to beautify your landscaping in an eco-friendly way.
Invest in a sustainable pool
While pools might not be the most eco-friendly feature, many homeowners dream of having a pool in their backyard, or might simply be looking for ways to make their existing pools greener. In order to make this beautiful feature as sustainable as possible, it’s recommended to use recycled or more natural materials like ceramics and preferably opt for more organic, saltwater pools instead of relying on harsh chemicals.
Covers will also be essential for saving both water and energy, but it might be best to choose solar pool covers that help to prevent evaporation while also heating up the water with little to no energy, making for the most sustainable solution.
Wrapping up
Outdoor living spaces are incredibly comfortable and inviting aspects of any home, and there’s no reason why they can’t be eco-friendly as well. As long as you keep these simple tips in mind, you can effortlessly create a cozier, more sustainable, and low-maintenance outdoor area you will surely love.
