Although the very nature of gardens makes them more 'green' compared to other elements of home building or renovation project, incorporating ways to make your garden more eco-friendly is a must if you're keen to improve the bio-diversity of your outdoor space.
From choosing the right hard landscaping materials, through to the plants you pick, there are a number of different ideas that can add real value to your garden – not just in terms of sustainability, but how the end result looks too.
We asked garden experts to share the best ways to make your garden more eco-friendly and here's what they recommend you consider when finalising your garden design.
1. Leave space for nature in your garden layout
“One of the simplest ways to make a garden more eco-friendly is to simply leave space for nature," says Helen Simmen, research officer at Wildflower Turf.
When designing your garden zones and layout, as well as including all the main elements you need for your own personal use, such as patios or decking ideas, not filling every single patch of land could be more beneficial than you think.
"Allowing areas of long grass, piles of logs and leaves, or even a small patch of stinging nettles creates essential habitat for insects, birds and small mammals," explains Helen.
"Some of our most eye-catching butterflies, including Peacock and Red Admiral, rely on nettles as a food plant for their caterpillars, so leaving a small patch in an out-of-the-way corner can have a big impact on wildlife," she says.
Helen Simmen leads Research and Development at Wildflower Turf. Her work spans quality control, new product development and scientific research – ensuring wildflower products are evidence-led, reliable and designed to deliver real ecological outcomes.
2. Choose sustainable materials for hard landsacping
Using locally available materials for your hard landscaping is a guaranteed way of improving your project's carbon footprint and making sure your garden is in-keeping with your home's surrounding area.
Sustainable materials like UK or FSC timber, recycled aggregates such as this Suburban Stone Blue Slate 40mm Bulk Bag from Travis Perkins, and recycled paving are a great way of making your garden more eco-friendly. And, if you have concerns that an eco-friendly garden means using only natural materials, remember that some modern composite decking boards are made from recycled plastics. These products are also likely to last much longer than timber alternatives, with little maintenance in comparison.
As well as choosing recycled materials, think about what can be recycled at the end of its usable life when shopping for garden items. Plastic pots are a big waste issue, and while some gardening centres offer pot recycling schemes, others are forging forward with recyclable or biodegradable alternatives.
Reclamation is another option you can use in your garden too. From understanding how to use salvage for garden upcycling ideas, through to finding ways to reuse brick in a garden, or scouring online sites for second hand garden furniture, pre-loved additions to your garden will weigh less heavily on your consciousness, sustainability-wise.
Plus, reclaimed materials can add a weathered beauty to your garden scheme –something you might have to wait a few seasons to achieve if buying new.
If shopping for new items, choose items that can be recycled
These stylish garden chairs are made from hardwearing polypropolene and can be recyled at the end of their life.
3. Plant native species
“Having a bustling garden full of native plants is a great starting point for a more eco-friendly outdoor space, as it helps support local ecosystems – incredibly important for biodiversity," says Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk.
“Choosing native plants is really important for helping birds, bees and many other native wildlife species, as they provide food sources that non-native plants often don’t. Native plants are also well adapted to the local climate, meaning they require less water and fewer chemicals to thrive," he explains.
"These plants resist common pests too, reducing the need for chemical treatments and replacement costs, and buying from local growers also cuts air miles," adds Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
His suggestions for native planting schemes?
"Consider spring favourites like primrose with its pale yellow blooms, or the delicate blue flowers of forget-me-not. For dramatic height, foxglove produces tall spikes of pink-purple tubular flowers that bees adore, whilst oxeye daisies offer cheerful white blooms with yellow centres from late spring into summer.
"If you have shaded areas, wood anemone thrives in lower light with its white flowers and yellow anthers," says Julian, "while fragrant honeysuckle makes an excellent climbing plant that attracts pollinators throughout the season.
"For structure and year-round interest, native trees and shrubs are invaluable," he adds. "Silver birch provides attractive white bark and grows into an elegant feature tree, whilst holly offers evergreen foliage and berries that wildlife treasure. Hornbeam creates excellent hedging, and wild cherry delivers beautiful spring blossoms followed by fruit that supports garden birds and wildlife."
Shop for native plants
Chris Bonnett, founder of the online garden centre Gardening Express, has over 20 years’ experience in horticulture. His journey in the industry began as a teenager, when he merged his love of the outdoors with the internet to make quality plants affordable and accessible across the UK and Europe.
As Head of Plants for British Garden Centres, Julian is responsible for plant strategy, the plant buying team, sourcing, and providing expert gardening advice for the group, which operates over 70 centres across the UK.
4. Include an abundance of wildflowers
One of the first things that springs to mind for most people when looking at ways to make your garden more eco-friendly is the addition of wildflowers. And it's for good reason too, says Dr Emily Attlee, conservation scientist and co-founder of the original Seedball company.
"Growing wildflowers in your garden is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to create an eco-friendly space. They’re easy to establish, you don’t need perfect soil or hours of maintenance, and they flourish in spots where other plants might struggle. A handful of seeds or seedballs scattered in a sunny or lightly shaded patch can transform a bare corner into a colourful, vibrant display," says Emily.
“Beyond their beauty, wildflowers also play a vital role in supporting local wildlife, much like native plants," she adds.
"Bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other vital pollinators rely on their nectar and pollen, helping to maintain healthy ecosystems both in your garden and beyond. Even small insects and other beneficial creatures are drawn to these natural havens, creating a lively, balanced environment. By planting wildflowers, you’re not only adding colour and texture to your garden but also providing essential food and shelter for countless species that are struggling to thrive.
“The best part is how they're perfect for all gardens, including low maintenance ones," she notes. "Once established, wildflowers need little more than natural rainfall and occasional tidying, making them perfect for anyone looking to support biodiversity while enjoying a beautiful, effortless garden all year round."
And it terms of the bigger picture, they don't just impact your garden, but also have much bigger influence too, says Helen Simmen, telling us how, "wildflowers also deliver wider ecosystem services such as carbon storage, improved water management and healthier, more biodiverse soils."
Seedballs can also be used in planters too
This 100 seed ball pack with native British seeds is perfect for shady gardens, pots and balconies in autumn and spring.
Dr Emily Attlee is a conservation scientist, and along with her partner Dr Ana Attlee, founded Seedball, a multiple-award-winning, not-for-profit organisation. Ana and Emily’s mission is to help increase the abundance of British wildflowers and wildlife that depend upon them by encouraging people to maximise the outdoor space available to them and scattering seed balls of native flowers.
5. Include a veg patch in your eco-friendly garden
As part of a wider plan to build an eco-friendly home, starting a vegetable garden is another way of boosting your garden's sustainable profile.
“Growing your own food is another great way to make your garden more eco-friendly," agrees Chris Bonnett. "It reduces the need for store bought produce that often comes with excess packaging and food miles.
"Home grown fruit, veg and herbs can be harvested as and when they’re needed, helping to cut down on food waste, while also allowing you to enjoy the benefits of seasonal produce."
Worried you won't have enough space? You don't always need to hand over your lawn to a veggie patch. Including space for raised beds can be an easy place to start, or even consider replacing an unused garden shed with a greenhouse instead.
6. Harvest and reuse water
As climate change takes a hold on our world, finding ways to make sure your garden stays hydrated are key – and an essential way of making your garden more eco-friendly.
"With increasing pressure on water supplies, collecting rainwater offers a smart solution. Install water butts at downspouts to capture rainfall for later use with soaker hoses or watering cans," advises Julian Palphramand.
"Grey water from sinks, baths, and washing machines, which comprises 50- 80% of household wastewater, can also be redirected to water ornamental plants, grow your own, lawns and containers," he confirms.
Although where possible, collect and recycle rainwater as much as you can, says Chris Bonnett. "Rainwater is better for plants, as tap water is treated with chemicals to make it safe for human consumption, which can be slightly less beneficial for plant health."
Shop for water butts
Simple to fit this water butt also comes with a stand for easy installation
A traditional galvanised steel butt with stand and tap
Double up with this water butt and planter kit
7. Don't forget to compost
Finding ways to use your garden waste, in particular repurposing your garden’s green waste is another important step in making your garden eco-friendly. Plus, making your own garden compost can also help to reduce waste from the kitchen too.
"Items like shredded cardboard, old fruit and vegetables, grass clippings and egg shells will break down in a compost heap, creating nutrient-rich compost to use in the garden and helping to reduce household waste," shares Chris Bonnett.
"Position your compost bin on bare soil in a reasonably sunny spot, and within nine to twelve months, you have nutrient-rich growing media that costs nothing and feeds your garden naturally," confirms Julian Palphramand.
As well as being eco-friendly, it will also save you money on shop bought compost improvers and offer an eco-friendly alternative to peat-based composts.
Although peat composts have proven super effective for retaining water and nutrients, however, it is sourced from peat bogs through processes that damage natural ecosystems and adversely affect the environment, making it an unsustainable product.
8. Use eco-friendly garden products
As well as the hard landscaping materials you use, when it comes to your garden maintenance, you can also help add to your eco-credentials by choosing tools and products that are designed to cause less harm to the environment.
When looking into how to kill weeds naturally, try products such as this Town & Country Weed Wand from Amazon that uses intense heat to destroy the internal cell structure of weeds so it dies back naturally, making it an eco-friendly option to chemical weed killers.
Even small changes such as switching to these Haxnicks Bamboo Dibber and Widger Set for Planting from Amazon are all small changes that soon mount up.
"Taken together, small, practical changes show that eco-friendly gardening does not require large spaces or major redesigns - just a willingness to work with nature rather than against it," says Helen Simmen.
9. Build wildlife habitats from reclaimed materials
If you are building new features or renovating an existing property there are now lots of integrated ways to provide habitat. As those who have renovated older buildings know, the existing structures can provide excellent nesting sites for small birds such as house sparrows, house martins and swallows and various bat species.
Often when renovating, replacement of these habitats may form part of your planning conditions if flagged by an ecological survey. Luckily (for renovators and animals alike) these can all now be built in with architecturally pre-made pieces which incorporate nesting, such as Swift bricks.
You may wonder what the benefit is, particularly when the ecological survey throws a spanner in your works schedule, but, biodiversity aside, many of us would be happy to know that bats and small birds eat lots of everyday garden pests, so if you grow your own vegetables think of it like having 24-hour security.
Eco-friendly opportunities are also abundant in the materials leftover when you build a home or create your garden too, says Julian Palphramand.
"Repurpose pallets, broken terracotta pots, bamboo canes, and cut pipes to create wildlife houses that shelter beneficial insects and garden creatures year-round. Even single-use plastic bottles can become protective mini-cloches for seedlings. These upcycled solutions reduce waste whilst creating welcoming spaces for the wildlife that keep gardens healthy and balanced."
This combined with habitat walls, which use reclaimed and recycled architectural salvage and woody plant debris, have elevated even the humble wood pile into a designer garden feature that not only attracts wildlife and insects but is a sought-after design detail. Or, consider dead hedging for your garden boundaries – another way of inviting nature into your outdoor space.
10. Add a natural water feature
Adding a water feature is a great eco-friendly idea for every garden, not only for the enjoyment of humans, but for offering another habitat for a range of amphibious creatures and insects.
"Adding a wildlife pond is ahighly effective step," agrees Helen Simmen, "and it does not need to be large. Even a small garden pond or repurposed washing-up bowl can become a valuable biodiversity hotspot, providing food sources, breeding sites and a reliable supply of water, particularly during dry periods when birds and small mammals struggle to find it."
With any body of water in your garden, be sure to provide an exit path for small creatures that may venture into it – this can be achieved with a series of rocks that they can climb.
11. Design a year-round planting scheme that includes trees
One of the most visual parts of your garden is of course your planting scheme, and while the addition of plants is adding biodiversity by default, creating a planting list that covers the year, and includes trees, is a must for a well-considered eco-garden.
Hardy perennials which not only come back year on year but also tend to be in flower for longer periods of time are a good starting point, with plants such as hardy geraniums, which can be in flower for over five months.
Long flowering agapanthus does well in the ground or patio containers, and so is a smart choice for those with a small space or balcony – the campanulatus types are reliably hardy and need no winter protection.
Late season perennials such as Monarda, the Bergamot, Rudbeckia and other autumn daisies such as Aster are rich in pollen and mean that, with a combination of plants, you can have flowers for you and a food source available from late spring.
If you add in bulbs such as tulips or daffodils, and annuals that are easy to raise from seed such as forget-me-nots, you will even provide food sources for the first insects that awaken in February from their winter slumber.
But, as well as flowering plants, it's also vital to include trees whenever possible too. Even the smallest plot can house a small tree such as a crab apple – Malus transitoria is particularly good with interesting foliage, blossom and tiny, pearl-like orange fruits in autumn, which small garden birds adore.
If you have more space, then trees such as hornbeam (Carpinus), some oaks (Quercus) and the birch family (Betula) can make wonderful additions, with beautiful foliage shapes, autumn colours and, in the case of Betula albosensis, coral pink bark all year round.
These medium-sized trees are an excellent habitat for birds and nearly 1,000 types of invertebrates, so planting just two will not only attract insects more likely to deal with the greenfly on your tomatoes than pesticides, but will also increase the quality of the air in your garden enormously.
For those with larger gardens, the extra space allows even more opportunity to create a kaleidoscope of autumn colours, interesting bark and blossom in spring, with a variety of trees of different heights, shapes and form attracting wildlife.
While it's easy to focus your eco-attention to your back garden, make sure you also include some sustainable elements to your front garden ideas too. Gardens and driveways with excess concrete cause rainwater runoff which street drains can’t always cope with, potentially causing flooding. Permeable paving is now a requirement for driveways, and use of non-permeable varieties may require planning permission.
Using locally sourced gravel is a better option, while keeping paving to a minimum, leaving space for plants and allowing drives to drain into borders will also improve your driveway’s eco credentials.
