With the changing climate prompting a number of trends across all industries, households are being transformed with the environment in mind. Single-use plastics are becoming less frequently used, triple-glazed windows the norm, and gardens are being utilised as hubs of carbon efficiency. 

In particular, these outdoor changes are taking garden aesthetics away from the traditionally neat and tidy designs that were once championed among gardening enthusiasts and more toward the rustic and fruitful spaces of traditional crofts and smallholdings, all with sustainability in mind. 

Vegetables Over Flowers

Whereas it was once a source of pride to have a garden that cultivated the most beautiful and aromatic flowers, those grown from regimented flower beds and with exotic histories, now it is food that is championed. Vegetable beds are replacing flower beds, herbs are growing around the edges, and fruits are being swapped among neighbours. 

This growing affection for food is a great way for homeowners to improve their carbon footprint, reducing the need to buy and even import ingredients used in their kitchens.

Getting Your Hands Dirty

A direct complement to growing one’s own vegetables is the act of composting. Despite a number of local councils offering composting services, a great many households are turning to creating their own systems, having better control over their food waste and creating a rich soil for their own garden.

Compost not only reduces food waste in a home, dramatically improving carbon footprints, but also improves soil quality, leading to better plant life and a healthier environment.

Under The Sun

Technological improvements have entirely changed how solar panels are perceived. Whereas they were once known to be expensive and comparatively inefficient, they are now affordable, effective, and even compact. This is why it is no longer uncommon to see solar panels not only on the roofs of houses but also sheds, log cabins, and annexes too.

These smaller solar panel options are often used to charge batteries that are kept in outbuildings. These batteries can then be brought into the home and used to charge numerous devices around the property or simply be kept outdoors and used to charge electric vehicles, such as bicycles.

Wild Sanctuaries 

Acknowledging that a garden space is not solely for the enjoyment of homeowners but also for the safety of wildlife is a key step in helping a home to become more environmentally friendly. Insect hotels, bee hives, hedgehog boxes, and bird baths are each examples of how simple assets can make a garden a haven for pollinators and animals.

Water Collection

Partly prompted by necessity, that of hosepipe limitations during periods of extended drought, water butts are now common features across the UK’s neighbourhoods. Homeowners are recognising that not only can collecting rainwater improve their garden and sustainability efforts but it can also save them money too, decreasing their reliance on other water supplies. 

Certain councils are even accelerating this trend by offering free water butts to homes or at a reduced cost. As such, for those interested in improving their water consumption, it may be worth reaching out to see which local environmental schemes are available.