Top tips on growing a sustainable garden

Gardens have increasingly evolved into more vibrant, sustainable, and multi-functional spaces over the past few years, whilst also reflecting the growing environmental concerns.

With that said, playing our part has now become more important than ever, whether that’s growing our own food and cutting down on our household waste or renovating our gardens through ecofriendly practises - we all need to do our bit.

Leading paving manufacturer, Bradstone, speaks to garden designers on their top tips for making a garden more sustainable. Whether you're a seasoned horticulturist or a budding enthusiast, these top insights will no doubt inspire you to make more environmentally conscious choices.

Biodiversity and Sustainability with Cherry Carmen

Cherry Carmen, an experienced garden designer, horticulturalist and member of the Association of Professional Landscapers voiced her support for more biodiversity and sustainability. She said, "I would like to see more biodiversity and sustainability, and for people to consider wildlife a lot more. It’s not so much a trend, but something we should all be conscious about more is how we’re also looking into climate change.

“I would say, to make your garden more sustainable, look at using native plants in your garden, rainwater harvesting and start making your own compost at home.”

According to The Royal Horticulture Society, ‘every 1kg of homemade compost typically saves over 0.1kg fossil CO2 emissions, which could save more than 5.1 kg carbon, per gardener, every year.’(RHS)

For those looking for more easier ways to make a change, choosing plants that are native to your area can help to support local wildlife and promote biodiversity which can be done through incorporating features such as birdhouses or water sources.

Climate Resilience with Hannah Reid

Discussing future trends, organic garden designer, Hannah Reid, predicts that sustainability and climate resilience will become central themes in garden designs.

She said: “Sustainability is going to continue coming to the forefront in many forms. Using eco-friendly products such as crushed concrete are becoming more and more popular, along with more consideration on a garden’s climate resilience. Factors such as incorporating drainage, adding gravel, and taking different seasons into account will become increasingly important. One way to help with the impact of heavy rain is to add terraced or raised beds – they are a great way to prevent flooding.”

Perennials and Planters with Pip Probert

Garden designer Pip Probert spoke about the benefits of perennials and using raised planters, which offer a combination of aesthetics, flexibility and eco benefits.

She said, “Perennial planting is great way to keep a garden sustainable without breaking the bank. Like many plants, it grows and eventually dies off, but perennials come back bigger each year. These plants allow you to propagate from them, so it’s a great way to make more out of what you already have.”

Perennials are not only relatively low maintenance, but develop wide root systems that anchor the soil, store carbon in the ground and better resist erosion from heavy rain. A great plant for those looking to make more environmentally friendly choices.

Pip continued by saying “One of my favourite garden trends at the moment are raised planters. You can add so many different textures and materials. Whether it be paving stones used upright, render, or a wooden effect, you can get a very different look with a simple feature that is affordable and lasts a really long time."

By embracing these small changes, you can create a garden that is not only beautiful and functional, but also sustainable and resilient. With the guidance of the garden designers, you can start to make an impact today.

So, let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and cultivate a greener, brighter future—one garden at a time.

For more information on Bradstone’s ECO paving products, please visit: www.bradstone.com/garden-paving/eco-paving