Fron Goch Garden Centre

Go Green in the Garden

It doesn't have to be expensive and difficult to go green in your garden. Have a look at some of the ideas we have come up with to encourage wild life into your garden while creating a safe heavan to enjoy.

Composting
By recycling your fruit & vegetable peelings, grass cuttings and the rest of your garden waste you can produce well-rotten garden compost, which can be used as a soil improver to enhance plant growth - great on a vegetable patch.

Water Conservation
Simply Use Less!
Reducing our water usage is perhaps one of the biggest concerns for gardeners today. There are two ways in which you can do this – firstly you can simply use less. Many experts believe that if you water less often you encourage both your plants and your lawn to take deeper roots, therefore making them sturdier and more drought resistant. When you do water them, ensure that it is in the evening – this way the water will take longer to evaporate, resulting in less water being required over the long run.

Pots and hanging baskets are renowned for being extremely thirsty, but you can slow down evaporation by lining them with plastic bags. Meanwhile, spread mulch over your borders to conserve water.

It’s also time to ditch the sprinkler. Sprinklers waste a phenomenal amount of water, especially when they throw the water high, as so much is lost through evaporation. Hosepipes themselves use up to 1,000 litres of water an hour – meaning that it can be expensive as well as wasteful.

Water Butts
Water Butts are an essential for your garden.
Almost 10,000 average litres of rainwater falls on our house roofs each year so by collecting it in a water butt, you have a ready source of water that can help keep your garden looking lush and green.

A water butt can be connected to a down pipe so that it collects rainwater from your gutters. If you are using a down pipe, you will also need an overflow pipe or a rain diverter to redirect water into the butt. Once it’s full, water flows down the drainpipe.
A gutter filter will also keep out unwanted debris.

Bird Bath & Wildlife Attractions
Simply adding a bird bath, feeder or installing a pond attracts all sorts of wildlife into your garden. You may be lucky enough to find that the birds and frogs get rid of unwanted slugs and snails. Having a pesticide-free garden may also attract species such as hedgehogs.

Conserve Power - Use Solar Lighting
Outdoor lights don’t take energy-saving light bulbs however, modern solar lights which are specifically designed for outdoor use are available in abundance, the energy from the sun is free so illuminating your garden is easy and energy efficient.


Healthy Living, Great Exercise
Gardening itself is a healthy activity so get the rake out! If you only have a small lawn, consider reverting to a manual lawnmower – the effect is just as good.

Grow Your Own
Have a go at growing your own herbs & vegetables. Anything that you can harvest from your own garden not only gives you a huge sense of satisfaction but also means you have travelled zero miles to get on your plate. At Fron Goch we have all the advice and equiptment you need to start growing.

Organic Plant Foods, Pesticides & Fertalizers
Buying organically is one of the easiest green transitions that you can make. Simply replace your existing chemical-based pesticides with organic shop-bought substitutes.