Hi friend,

I’m guessing you follow me because you want to improve your yard’s impact on the planet.

So I wanted to share 5 steps every gardener should take to make their yard more self-sufficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly.

1 - Compost 🍄

Not only does composting reduce your waste and improve your carbon footprint, but it’s also one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve soil health!

Healthy soil is the secret to abundant, thriving, pest-free plants AND it helps sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide - meaning it actively fights climate change.

2 - Remove invasive plants 🎋

By definition, invasive plants cause ecological harm. They outcompete native plants and take over large areas.

It’s common to find invasive species growing in your yard that you never planted. It’s important to know what’s growing and its status as native, non-native, or invasive.

3 - Plant native 🌻

Native plants are incredibly important for native wildlife. 90% of all plant-eating insects rely solely on one plant family native to the same area as them to complete their lifecycle.

Native plants also require way less maintenance than non-natives and are much more resilient to your climate because they evolved in your area.

4 - Avoid pesticides 🚫

Broadly spraying pesticides will ultimately kill more than just what you’re targeting, including the very important soil microbiome.

And when it rains, pesticides and other synthetic garden chemicals run off from your yard and pollute both natural and municipal waterbodies.

5 - Use what you have ♻️

It’s common for gardening to be very consumer-oriented. Gardeners think they need to buy a million different products to grow their plants, resulting in a ton of unnecessary waste like plastic.

But you can absolutely garden without buying much. What do you already have available to you? What can you DIY? What can be repurposed instead of thrown away?

If you need more help following these steps and making the best possible impact with your yard, check out the Natural Gardener’s Workbook Bundle!​

This exclusive collection brings together three essential workbooks that will empower you to cultivate a garden that's not only beautiful but also low-maintenance and eco-friendly

Tory is an ecologist and landscape consultant. He helps North American gardeners transition from using outdated and harmful but status-quo techniques to using their yards to improve the health of our planet. Along with being a gardener for over 10 years, Tory has a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Design and is certified in Regenerative Soil Science.​

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