Living in town or with a small yard and garden can be challenging when it comes to sustainability, but it’s not impossible. Here are 15 ideas to get you started with turning your backyard space into something that is sustainable both for the environment and for your family.
Sustainable Gardening
Part of creating a sustainable backyard garden is to use your space wisely. Traditional backyards are not large, but by being open minded you can allow room for both form and functionality.
The trick is to work with the unique layout of your space. Spend time brainstorming how you can best use each area, and don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works.
If you are new to gardening, start with fruits and vegetables that are hardy and easy to maintain.
- Go vertical by creating a wall of strawberries from The Savory Lotus.
- Grow vegetable tunnels for children to play in and harvest.
- Regrow scallions to get more bounty for your buck from Mix Wellness.
- Build a fast and easy raised bed garden for just $30 from Little Homesteaders.
- Build a straw bale raised bed garden from Homegrown and Healthy.
- Take advantage of companion planting for the best produce.
- Grow tomatoes upside down in a DIY bucket from Attainable Sustainable.
Sustainable Landscaping
Creating a sustainable backyard garden starts with learning how to use nature’s resources wisely. One of the easiest natural resources to tap into is rainwater.
There are several ways that you can use rainwater directly in your garden.
Here are just a few ideas for sustainable landscaping in the backyard:
- Hook up a rain barrel to your gutter system (or buy here)
- Create a permaculture pathway to preserve rich soil and healthy plants.
- Upcycle glass bottles to make a pretty garden border from The Greenbacks Gal.
- Grow a living roof with tips and ideas from Landscaping Design Adviser.
- Make a rain chain so that rainwater can flow directly into a garden bed. (or buy here)
- Build a compost bin so you can have nutrient rich soil.
- Make the most of low moisture areas by making a rain garden.
- Upcycle some bricks to make a brick garden wall by Attainable Sustainable.
Related Articles Around the Web:
Backyard Vegetable Garden Tutorial
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
Thanks for including my glass bottle border!
You have some great ideas here -Growing up is always a great way to get the most out of your space. -Carole @ GardenUp green
I always have trouble remembering what days certain plants should be watered. The Rain Garden may sound super romantic, but, it absolutely functional for my needs.
We’ve been doing the upside down tomato project for a few years here (me and the kids:)). But those water effects, the barrel, the rain garden and that water chain I will definitely be using this season! Thanks for the info!
I also grow my own vegetable garden in my backyard. I will use these helpful ideas for my garden.
Thanks for sharing.
Laura
My idea is we can grow vegetables and something in plastic bottles and save more space.
Many thanks to you.
I just started growing vegetables in my garden backyard. i hope these tips will help to keep my garden in a safe way.
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Great article and indeed there are unique ways of gardening, especially love the idea of hooking up a rain barrel to the gutter system and making a rain chain so that rainwater can flow directly into a garden bed. Such good tips, will definitely try them.
While surfing the net for sustainable gardening I came across an article that stood out and is gripping. It talks about ‘How to Create a More Sustainable Landscape’ and seven ways to do so.Complementing the natural landscape as well as ensuring that it is economically and environmentally sustainable in the future. The below article is a must read:
https://revell.com.au/how-to-create-a-more-sustainable-landscape/