Great Green Idea: Green Gardening: Create Your Own Organic Garden to Help the Environment

Create Your Own Organic Garden to Help the Environment

Whether you want to enhance your table with better food, or decorate it with beautiful flower bouquets, you can do it organically. The advantages are many, and the contribution you will be making to Mother Earth can't be over-stated. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Get rid of your lawn. All right, you may not be able to give up all of your grass, but it wouldn't hurt to sacrifice some of it to plants that are native to your area. These plants already like your local soil, and have evolved with your native insect populations, so they won't need near as much care. In fact, you may be able to dispense with pesticides and fertilizers altogether.

Water your little patch of greenery in the evening. If Mother Nature doesn't supply adequate moisture for your leafy friends, you can supplement her efforts. If you do it during the day, however, the sun will drink it up before your plants even get a good sip. Wait until evening, and things will cool down enough for the garden to benefit from your efforts.

While we're on the subject of water, you don't have to run up your utility bill. Your flora won't be grossed out by water from your aquarium.

When your fish are done having their way with the h2o in their tank, let your lilies lap it up. What your fishes deposit in their pool is disgusting, but it is organic, and your flowers will gobble it up with contentment.

The same is true of your dishwater. Don't send it swirling down the drain. Empty it on your tomato plants. Where you see yucky leftover food, they see minerals they can recycle to stay healthy.

Start a compost heap. You'd be amazed what can go on it. Leftover food will biodegrade into fertilizer that your garden's residents will love. Grass clippings are great cheap fertilizer, too. If it is organic, it will rot, and make good soil for your garden.

Don't feel you can't have a garden in the city. Maybe you can't grow an acre of beans in your New York apartment, but you can buy flowerpots and hanging planters to spruce up the green quality of your home. You may not want to get carried away with the composting, but your dish and aquarium water will help your New York Flowers look as good as they would if they had been raised on an Idaho farm. Not only can you have air-purifying plants in your home no matter where you live, you can do it without adding toxins to the earth.