Save water
- Avoid using a hose wherever possible - use a watering can for the garden and buckets of water for washing the car.
- Try to water plants at sunset, rather than in the heat of the day - this will enable the water to soak through to the roots, rather than simply evaporate.
- Let your grass grow a little longer - it will require less water.
- Collect rainwater to water your flowers.
- Avoid burning rubbish - this can produce toxic chemicals, as well as releasing carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change.
- Try to use organic and environmentally friendly fertilizers and pesticides - organic gardening reduces pollution and is better for wildlife. Chemicals will eventually end up in the sea and can upset the delicate balance of lifecycles.
- Use disease-resistant and pest-resistant plants.
- Use organic compost and mulch to improve soil health and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers.
- Use plants that repel insects. Some herbs and flowers - including basil, chives, mint, marigolds, and chrysanthemums - mixed in with other plants, help keep pests away.
- Plant native wild flower seeds in your garden.
- Take time out to sit out in your backyard with friends and family, and appreciate the beauty of nature!
- Encourage wildlife in your garden - put up nest boxes, build a pond and plant a wide range of native flowers and plants.
- Plant local species of trees.
- Never take plants or pick flowers from anywhere in the wild.