Eco Tips and Encouraging Wildlife in a Winter Garden

It has to be said that some eco tips are simply too much to put into practice. The Christmas “To Do” list is growing. The heating’s on the blink. The youngest has taken up bird watching and lurks (with incredible stealth) within twilight bushes binoculars-clad and unwilling to come inside for dinner.

The eldest has adopted some kind of noise-death scheme from his unbidden bedroom fortress. Granddad has invested in an astronomical telescope (perhaps it’s the long periods of sitting in a chair with a blanket away from the hubbub of the house that appeals!) and insists on the back door being left unlocked until silly o’clock in the morning. Does that cover everything?
So no, the festive season is hardly the most convenient to go green and implement a few changes to the garden’s habits, but never mind!
Composting – it’s easy, it’s free, it’s green, and the garden will be grateful for all those tasty nutrients. Composting using worms is highly effective thanks to the worms’ habit of continually tunnelling, encouraging fluid drainage and air flow.
Ethical Garden Furniture – That old plastic set seen its heyday? Investing in something ethically sourced and sturdy like teak garden furniture may have a higher initial cost, but thirty years of use down the line the investment will be worth it!
Mirror Local Eco Systems – Learning about the native plant and animal life is a great way to enhance a garden’s environmental integrity. Not sure where to start? Take up post in some local woods with a pair of decent binoculars and see what’s about. Provisions such as artificial nesting huts, carefully sited ponds and so on can make the world of difference to the balance of a fragile eco system.
Go Organic – Generally the word “expensive” pops into being next. Finding the right level of organic living simply means the workable adaptation of living habits to include – where possible – organic elements.

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