Quick and Dirty: Sustainable Landscaping Made Simple

These sustainable ideas are cheap and easy, whether you have acres of land or a few patio plants.
How to Make a Rain Barrel

Caring for Your Rain Barrel

The screen should prevent accumulation of debris in your barrel and will protect against mosquito larvae. If mosquitoes become an issue, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the water to prevent larvae from forming. Keep screens free of leaves and debris and leave the drainage hose adapter open in winter months to avoid ice damage.

Related To:

Who has the worst reputation in the world of green living? Sustainable landscaping. This misunderstood outcast eats its lunch alone in the far corner of the cafeteria while the popular parts—eating organically and recycling—rule the cool kids’ table. Why? Because we assume it requires too much of two things—money and effort—when it’s actually just the opposite.

“My mother always told me the best way to keep a house clean is not to mess it up in the first place,” says Lee Garrard RLA/ASLA, co-owner of MedicineWheel Land Planning in Athens, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. “If you don’t mess up the land, there’s nothing to repair. Nature provides us with everything we need to work with the land instead of against it.”

Whether you have acres of land or a few patio plants, implementing these ideas is cheap, easy and sure to help sustainable landscaping rise up the ranks of popularity:

Develop a Crush on Rubble

That pile of discarded aggregate isn’t junk, it’s your new hardscape. Recycled local materials like brick, stone, lumber and even metal can enjoy a new life as walkways, walls, decks and patios. “I found some broken concrete, arranged it in a pattern in a 20-by-20 space, filled it with dirt and planted grass between the joints,” Garrard says. “The grass took off and made it look beautiful and substantial.”

Think Inside the Box

Garrard and co-owner/landscape designer Lauren Stubbs set up nesting boxes for birds and bats on Rushland Plantation—a 500-acre neighborhood in Johns Island, South Carolina—to support local wildlife and offset the need for fungicides and pesticides. “A bat can eat over 1,000 insects a night,” Garrard says. “Providing dependable water sources like bird baths and forms of shelter encourages wildlife to work with you.” Something as small as incorporating a small stone pile makes a big difference: it provides cover for insects, amphibians, chipmunks and other creatures.

Rein in the Rain

Make the best of a rainy afternoon by watching where the water goes. Where does it drain? Where does it pool? “This is a great opportunity to use what is naturally happening to focus plants that love water in specific areas,” Garrard says. “You’ll water less and offset erosion issues.” He also suggests rain barrels and rain chains to harvest rainwater, which is better for your landscape than what comes out of the hose.

Get to Know the Natives

Plants indigenous to the area don’t require as many fertilizers or pesticides, need less water and play nice with the local animals and insects.

Matter Matters

Composting gets a bad rap for requiring too much effort, but how much time (and money!) does it take to buy mulch, then return to the garden shop to get the extra bags you should’ve bought the first time? Compost returns organic matter to the soil and keeps it out of landfills. In the fall, let the leaves fall where they may…and leave them there to feed the soil instead of raking and blowing.

What is a Medicine Wheel? Find out more at MedicineWheel Land Planning, Charleston, South Carolina and Athens, Georgia, 843.906.8404.

Next Up

Products We Love for Greener, Healthier Homes and Gardens

Brands are stepping up to make our lives easier and better with sustainable technologies and materials.

Amazon Just Launched a New Organic Line With Sustainable Homewares for Every Room

For 100-percent organic cotton, the prices are surprisingly low.

6 Sustainable Brands You Can Score on Sale Right Now

Make every day Earth Day with these eco-friendly homewares.

11 Reusable Grocery Bags That Are Functional and Stylish

Sustainability is increasingly on our minds, and there are more options than ever when it comes to reusable shopping bags that are functional and stylish. Here are some of our favorites.

18 Eco-Friendly Travel Gift Ideas

Shop our sustainable travel gift picks sure to please every responsible traveler on your list. (We even found eco-friendly gift wrap.) Shop on, planet-loving friends.

11 Best Reusable Straws of 2024 You'll Actually Use, Tested and Reviewed

Minimize your plastic straw usage by adding one of these stylish eco-friendly straws — from reusable stainless steel to biodegradable wheat — to your online shopping cart.

2024's Best Eco-Friendly Furniture and Decor

The HGTV Magazine 2024 Green List is here! Check out the editors' favorite new eco-friendly finds for every room (and your patio, too).

The Last Food Storage Bags You'll Ever Need to Buy

Make reducing single-use plastic easy with these reusable toxin-free silicone bags perfect for packing lunches, freezing foods, sous vide cooking and so much more.

The Easiest Eco-Friendly, Under-$20 Swap I've Made in My Home in 2024

Reusable wool dryer balls help rid your laundry of those annoying disposable dryer sheets and dry your clothes faster.

25 Things You Can Compost (Some May Surprise You!)

Did you know you can compost hair, dryer lint and nail clippings along with your kitchen scraps? It’s not gross; rather, it helps amp up the quality of your garden soil.

Go Shopping

Get product recommendations from HGTV editors, plus can’t-miss sales and deals.

On TV

Follow Us Everywhere

Join the party! Don't miss HGTV in your favorite social media feeds.