Sustainable Gardening

Seven Tips for a Sustainable Garden

What is sustainable gardening? Sustainable gardening combines organic gardening practices with resource conservation. It values ecosystem support, makes as little negative impact on the earth as possible, and works with nature instead of against it.

• Start with a functional garden design
• Plant natives or plants that thrive in your area
• Use Integrated Pest Management
• Conserve water
• Practice companion planting
• Attract beneficial insects
• Compost organic materials

Tip 1: Start with a Functional Garden Design

What is a Localscape?

Utah is different. Our weather, precipitation, climate, and even culture are unique from many other parts of the country. It only makes sense that our landscapes need to be different too.

Functional landscape design helps reduce wasted water, failed plants, and unnecessary yard maintenance. Localscapes was developed by horticulturists, landscape designers, irrigation experts, maintenance professionals, and members of the water industry to simplify landscape design for Utah conditions.

Learn more at Localscapes.com.

Tip 2: Plant Natives or Plants That Thrive in Your Area

Choose plants that are naturally suited to your local climate, soil, water availability, and growing conditions. In Utah and the Mountain West, that often means selecting native, drought-tolerant, water-wise, and regionally adapted plants.

Plants that are well matched to your area are more likely to establish strong roots, handle heat and drought, resist pests, and require less maintenance over time.

Tip 3: Integrated Pest Management

What is IPM?

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that uses a combination of common-sense practices. Instead of reaching for a pesticide first, IPM focuses on observation, prevention, correct identification, and the least risky effective control.

The four steps of IPM include:

• Set action thresholds: Decide when a pest problem is serious enough to require action.
• Monitor and identify pests: Not all insects are harmful. Some are beneficial, and correct identification helps prevent unnecessary treatment.
• Prevention: Use healthy soil, crop rotation, resistant varieties, proper watering, and good garden care to reduce pest pressure.
• Control: When control is needed, start with the least risky options first, such as hand-picking, pruning, trapping, barriers, or targeted treatments.

Learn how to diagnose a pest problem here.

Tip 4: Conserve Water

Water conservation is essential for sustainable gardening in Utah and the Mountain West. Use drip irrigation, mulch, healthy soil, smart plant selection, and proper watering schedules to help plants thrive with less waste.

Mulch helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, keep roots cooler, reduce evaporation, and improve the appearance of garden beds and landscapes.

Tip 5: Companion Planting

What is companion planting?

Companion planting is the practice of growing different crops close together because some plants support each other. They may help with pest control, soil nutrition, pollination, beneficial insects, shade, or better use of garden space.

A familiar example is the Three Sisters: corn, climbing beans, and winter squash. Corn supports the beans, squash shades the soil and discourages weeds, and beans help fix nitrogen.

Learn which companion plants go together here.

Tip 6: Attract Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects help pollinate plants and naturally reduce pest pressure. Ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, native bees, parasitic wasps, and other helpful insects are signs of a healthier garden ecosystem.

To attract beneficial insects, plant a variety of flowers and herbs such as dill, cilantro, fennel, parsley, yarrow, sweet alyssum, calendula, cosmos, sunflowers, and native wildflowers.

Tip 7: Composting

Composting turns organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, plant trimmings, and food scraps into a rich soil amendment. Compost helps improve soil structure, supports soil life, increases moisture retention, and adds nutrients back into the garden.

Healthy compost supports healthy soil, and healthy soil supports stronger, more resilient plants.