Gardening, a source of joy and respite for many, is not only a boon for mental well-being but also a treasure for the environment. If you’ve been following our blog, you’d know about the plethora of benefits that gardens bring to both people and wildlife:
- Unlock The Hidden Potential of Your Backyard
- Pollinator Profiles: Creating a Pollinator-Friendly World
- Plants Make Us Happy | Simple, Sustainable Gardening Tips From A Landscape Designer At Home
However, there’s an underside to this picture—gardening waste. But, worry not. There are a few tips to keep in mind that can make your gardening footprint smaller and reduce the amount of waste associated with this act of kindness to yourself and the earth. We’ll break it down using the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
REDUCE
- Minimize yard “waste” and lighten your workload by retaining grass clippings, leaves, and other natural debris in your garden!
Leaving grass clippings and organic debris in your yard does more than just reduce waste; it also enriches your garden. For ages, these materials have naturally nourished the soil. Consider this: it’s somewhat counterintuitive to remove natural debris and then purchase mulch or soil, isn’t it? This organic breakdown is essential for our soils to maintain a healthy microbial ecosystem and support our plants.
If you’re worried about the look of leaves and grass left in the yard over fall and winter, consider getting a mower that will mulch the leaves as you mow over them. What’s left is a lot finer and less noticeable and will break down even faster in most cases! You can also gather up some of this material and toss it in an at-home compost pile. Once it breaks down you can spread it back into your garden. It will look similar to soil and mulch mixes you can buy but will be produced for free right there in your own yard.
- Have your bulk materials, like mulch or pea gravel, delivered loose instead of in large plastic builder’s bags.
This can often be less expensive than delivery in cubic meter tote bags and doesn’t leave you with yards and yards of plastic fabric to deal with once you’ve spruced up the garden in the spring. I also find that seeing the big piles of mulch on my driveway always motivates me to distribute it promptly.
REUSE
- Find a new purpose for that bulk bag by using it for your compost heap!
If you end up acquiring bulk bags from a mulch or soil delivery, you can reuse a couple for composting those leaves, cuttings, and grass clippings mentioned in item 1 above! Simply find a location that is accessible, relatively level and attractive to you (possibly tucked into the back yard or beside a shed).
The best results from composting usually come from using an even mix of brown things (ex: fallen leaves) and green things (ex: cuttings from plants, grass clippings, or plant-based kitchen scraps). Avoid putting woody plant material in and never include fats, proteins, or bones from the kitchen. These will attract wildlife and smell.
Place new materials into the bag in even layers. You will notice the height of the pile lowering as the materials at the bottom decompose. Once your bag is close to full, cover it (these bags often come with a draw string tie at the top or a flap you can hold down with something heavy like a brick) for at least a month or up to 6 months. When you’re ready to get to work in the garden, open your bag and gently mix the contents together with a pitchfork before spreading it around your garden to rejuvenate the soil.
RECYCLE
- Rinse those plant pots and put them in your blue bin!
We are lucky here in Waterloo Region to have a comprehensive curbside recycling program! Most plant pots, trays, and containers can be rinsed off (so that they are free from soil) and tossed into the “Containers Only” blue bin that you place on the curb weekly. If you live in an area outside of the Region or don’t have access to curbside recycling, most garden centres will take back plant pots for recycling or reuse. You can learn more and see what else is recyclable here.
If you still wind up with those big cubic-yard bags for bulk materials, you can often return those to where they came from for reuse or recycling. Places like Green Horizon Sod Farm take them back (or collect them at your drop-off the following year) and provide a $5 credit to you in exchange.
Smart home gardening benefits you, the local wildlife, watersheds, and the urban canopy. Adopting waste-reducing practices amplifies these advantages, ensuring a healthier planet for the generations to come.