Learn how home gardening benefits the local environment through oxygen production, soil health improvement, and wildlife habitat creation.

The following is a guest post from my bloggy friend Taylor McKnight. Interested in having a guest post on my website? Click here for my guest post submission form.

Growing Green: How Your Backyard Garden Helps the Local Ecosystem

If you’ve ever spent time in your garden, you likely feel a sense of pride and joy watching the flowers and plants grow. Taking care of these natural beauties is a great way to release stress and enjoy being outdoors. This article will indulge you into why you should start a garden, different types of plants in a garden, and requirements for upkeep of a garden.

Reasons Why You should Start Gardening

If you are looking to enhance the appearance of your home, you should consider planting flowers in your garden. Gardening also gives you access to fresh vegetables if you incorporate them into your garden. This also saves you a lot of money used to buy vegetables. Gardening is also a great way to reconnect with nature and rejuvenate yourself after a stressful day at work. However, one of the most important reasons you should start gardening is that it helps the environment.

Benefits of Gardening to the Local Environment

Gardening benefits an individual and contributes to improving the local environment in the following ways.

It Gives Off Oxygen 

Plants use carbon dioxide during the day and give oxygen, especially during photosynthesis. This helps to balance the amount of carbon dioxide in the local environment. High levels of carbon dioxide have contributed to global warming that has led to changes such as droughts and desertification around the world. Gardening is a practical and straightforward way to enhance oxygen levels in your local environment and improve air quality in cities and towns.

Improves Soil Health

When you grow plants and flowers in your garden, you add extra nutrition to the soil. This will improve soil health and increase the water holding capacity of the ground. This will result in a healthier environment for years to come.

Reduces Soil Erosion

Heavy winds and rains can damage the soil, destroy vegetation, and cause soil erosion. Gardening provides a home for many plants and protects the soil from wind and rain. Most cities and towns now have laws requiring that parts of the land be protected from wind and rain by providing plant coverage. This can be done in garden areas, thus creating a windbreak and holding the soil in place.

A Home for Different Animals

Animals are a vital aspect of our environment. Gardens contain different kinds of flowers or plants that attract a variety of animals. Birds love to reside in beautiful gardens and enjoy the beauty of nature. Insects also can be found in the garden during spring and summer. These insects provide their unique benefit to the environment by pollinating plants and spreading seeds, making gardening very important.

Important Tips on Gardening

There are lots of different tips and tricks for gardening. And if you want to achieve great results, you have to be dedicated and committed to the activity. However, there are some things that you should keep in mind before you start your first gardening project.

The Types of Plants You Should Plant

There are many types of plants that you can plant in your garden. Different plant species require specific conditions like sunlight and a particular soil type. Also, some plants need to be watered more than others. If you start gardening, you have to consider which plants are best for your environment. Identify the most accessible and most affordable plants for beginners to start.

Ways of Gardening

There are several gardening methods which you can use. One is known as container gardening, which involves growing different plants in containers. The second method is raised bed gardening, which can benefit plants like tomatoes. The third method of gardening is known as traditional gardens or in-ground gardening. This type of gardening is done on the ground. You can choose a suitable method for the kind of gardening space.

The Best Seasons for Gardening

Gardening has a few seasons where you can reap the benefits of your flowers and plants. The spring season is known for growing some of the earliest flowers, such as tulips and daffodils. If you do not have access to a backyard during this time, you can use DIY methods to create your flower beds. Summer is another crucial time for gardening because this is when seasonal fruits are ripe and ready to be harvested. This is also a good time because fewer insects are around, which will prevent damage to the fruits. You will want to make sure and have the garden in an open and spacious area so there is plenty room for growth. 

Garden Requirements and Upkeep

If you want to start a fruitful backyard garden, you will need a few things. Here are some of the requirements for your garden.

Soil

The most important thing for growing plants and flowers is the soil. You can use compost and manure to help improve your soil’s quality. Using natural methods for your garden helps conserve the environment. Chemicals can harm your plants and flowers, and they can also negatively affect the soil. 

Plants, Flowers, and Seeds

If you start a garden for the first time, you should get some seeds and plants. You can start by planting a few flowers in your backyard or flower beds. Depending on your available space, you can also grow fruits such as grapes or apples in your garden.

Pest Control and Animal Removal

When having a garden at home you will want to make sure you are aware of pests that exist around the house. Anything from rabbits to raccoons or several types of harmful insects, could cause your potential products from your garden to be limited or vanish. There are certain companies that offer pest control or animal removal services for relocation or depletion of critters. 

Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for Fresh Sweeps