National Garden Month Part 1: Earth-Friendly Gardening

Why Earth-Friendly Gardening Matters to All of Us

Earth-Friendly Gardening | UC Marin Master Gardeners has some amazing words of wisdom to share with you.

What is Earth-friendly Gardening?

Earth-friendly Gardening is our advice for creating sustainable landscapes that benefit the broader environment and make things easier for the gardener. By adopting these practices, you can grow a healthy garden that is beautiful, in sync with nature, and less prone to problems. To achieve this, we provide practical, science-based guidance on how to manage soil, choose plants, conserve resources, and protect the environment and garden life in its many forms — from underground microscopic creatures to the delightful bees and hummingbirds that zip through our gardens.

Why does it matter?

Earth-friendly Gardening benefits the environment.

These practices are kind to the Earth as they: 

• Minimize pollutants in air, water, and soil
• Protect our irreplaceable and threatened biodiversity
• Support pollinators and natural enemies
• Save water and energy
• Improve degraded soil for plant health and increased carbon capture
• Recharge groundwater to keep it clean and abundant
• Mitigate climate change

Earth-friendly Gardening benefits the gardener.

Want a handsome return on your landscaping investment? With Earth-friendly Gardening, you will:

• Save water, energy, and time
• Deal with fewer problems while enjoying a healthy landscape
• Work less while your garden lends a hand to the greater environment
• Grow a glorious garden!

In the end, relying on these practices allows you to enjoy your garden today while ensuring future generations can do the same. And that’s what sustainability is all about.

How do I incorporate Earth-friendly Gardening practices in my garden?

Here’s how to transform your garden into an Earth-friendly landscape.

Nurture and protect the soil

Healthy soil contains millions of living organisms that provide the nutrients that plants need to thrive. Photo: Ellefson, unsplash

• Develop healthy soil and protect the life in it.
• Add compost to “feed” the soil, improve texture, and increase its ability to capture carbon.
• Mulch to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and moderate soil temperature.
• Avoid soil disturbance, compaction, and erosion.

Choose plants with care

Image: Growing native plants extends natural beauty into your garden while protecting our unique biodiversity. Photo: Las Pilitas

• Grow California native plants which are naturally adapted to our growing conditions and protect our biodiversity.
• Use low-water plants that also welcome pollinators and natural enemies.  
• Remove invasive plants that overrun natives and cause other problems.

Conserve water and energy

Help mitigate climate change by reducing the use of fossil fuels in the garden. Photo: Ronaldo de Oliveira, unsplash

• Replace or reduce lawn.
• Incorporate permeable surfaces and other rainwater retention strategies to allow rainwater to slow, sink, and spread into the soil.
• Choose the irrigation method that uses the least amount of water.
• Use manual or electric tools, shop locally, and recycle and reuse containers.
• Compost garden and food waste to keep it out of landfill.

Protect wildlife and the environment

Protect precious watersheds by avoiding pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Photo: Karen Gideon

• Provide food, water, and shelter for insects, birds, and other animals.
• Practice responsible pest management to solve garden problems.
• Reduce use of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, which can harm people, wildlife, air, soil, and water.
• Use organic methods and materials.

Earth-Friendly Gardening | UC Marin Master Gardeners