Six tips for a climate-friendly garden | Canada Voices

The climate crisis is a big challenge that needs big, systemic solutions. But that doesn’t mean that smaller approaches aren’t meaningful too – including those that are literally in your own backyard.

“Individual actions are really part of community action,” says Sarah Lazarovic, a climate communications specialist in Toronto who publishes the “undepressing climate newsletter” More Vibrant Planet. “And community action is more than just yourself, by its very nature.”

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Whether you’re a devoted vegetable grower, a diehard lawn lover or an ornamental gardener who keeps aesthetics top of mind (or perhaps all three), your yard has plenty of potential as a means of reducing your ecological footprint, and moving more atmospheric carbon into the ground. Here are some ways to turn your yard into a climate-friendly powerhouse.

Support the soil

Soil isn’t just dirt. It’s a complex ecosystem rich in living organisms and organic matter, and an important planetary resource for storing carbon underground. But many gardening practices interfere with or even undo this process.

To improve the health and carbon sequestration potential of your soil, start by disturbing it as little as possible, suggests Sabrina Careri, a Vancouver-based landscape architect who works at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ecological Design Lab. That means skipping tilling or “turning over” your garden and digging only when needed. Experts also suggest avoiding synthetic fertilizers, which can disrupt the soil ecosystem and its ability to store carbon.

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Another way to support soil health is to add organic matter, such as by layering on compost and “leaving the leaves” where they fall, says biologist and ecological garden designer Emony Nicholls of Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. “I always put leaves on my beds,” she says. “You’re enriching the soil. You’re keeping the weeds down. You are often providing homes, especially for female bumblebees over the winter. And it’s free.”

Choose the right plants

The plants you choose affect the soil too, as well as emissions aboveground, from maintenance requirements to the ability to help you reduce energy use in your yard and home.

Nicholls points out that native plants are a great choice, as many of them have extensive root systems that help store carbon in the soil. “A lot of our native grasses are really fabulous for that,” she says. Careri adds that a diversity of plants is best when it comes to soil health. “Mixed species promote a wider variety of soil microbes and fungi, which stabilize carbon,” she says.

Trees and shrubs are also carbon sinks that can provide the extra benefit of shielding your home from hot summer sun or cold winter winds, helping reduce how much energy you need for heating and cooling. And like other perennials, they have the advantage over annuals of extensive root systems and no need to disturb soil after planting.

Boost biodiversity

“We know that biodiversity has proven to be our greatest natural defence against climate change,” says Careri. According to a 2022 study published in the journal Global Change Biology, actions to conserve and increase wild species and spaces are extremely important – and not just on the larger scale.

The authors point out that people in cities are responsible for the majority of greenhouse-gas emissions, and that biodiversity-focused efforts in urban areas not only support wildlife and serve as carbon sinks, but also reduce local temperatures, lessening the need for energy-intensive cooling.

On the gardening side, Careri says, this includes supporting the soil, leaving the leaves and choosing native plants, shrubs and trees – plus aiming for an abundance of pollinator-friendly flowers throughout the seasons.

But she adds that policy matters, too. One of the Ecological Design Lab’s projects is Bylaws for Biodiversity, which aims to support municipalities in modernizing their weed and grass bylaws to better align with Canadians’ climate and biodiversity goals. “We have template letters on our website that people can use to send to local leaders to advocate for bylaw reform,” she says.

Forgo fossil fuels

Gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers and other tools are a surprisingly large source of greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution owing to their inefficient engines. And modern electric alternatives are better than ever, with the average battery-powered mower lasting 45 to 50 minutes on a single charge – though if your lawn’s small enough, you might want to consider a push mower instead.

Another way we use fossil fuels in our yards, albeit indirectly, is through plastic. Landscape fabric, garden edging, nursery pots, irrigation tubing: They come from oil and gas and turn into microplastics as they break down. If you’re growing food, those tiny particles could actually be inside your prize tomatoes.

Cutting plastic out altogether can be tough. But it’s easy to reduce by choosing alternatives where they’re available, reusing what you have and skipping things you don’t really need. (Plastic landscape fabric, for instance, is terrible for the soil underneath, Nicholls notes – “It’s lacking moisture and oxygen” – and as for what’s on top, she calls it “weed heaven.” Alternatives to keep weeds down include a thick layer of mulch or so-called “green mulch” – simply planting densely enough that there’s no room for them to flourish.) Just avoid products containing peat, the harvesting of which is a source of greenhouse-gas emissions.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Mining, processing, manufacturing, shipping – be it furniture, tools, raised beds or containers – all the stuff we bring into our yards has associated emissions. Even water has a cost, as municipal systems use energy to get that H2O to your tap.

One 2024 study comparing urban and conventional agriculture found that growing food in cities, such as through backyard gardening, tends to have a much higher carbon footprint. Infrastructure – raised beds, sheds, pathways and other materials brought into gardens – was a major factor. Mitigate the problem by upcycling, giving away what you no longer use and prioritizing longevity when you do purchase new items.

Another item to recycle is yard waste. Many experts suggest keeping all organic material on your property to break down naturally and keep nutrients local. Nicholls suggests having a compost bin on-site as well as a leaf bin, to let time and fungi turn fallen autumn leaves that can’t be left in place into a beautiful soil amendment. And barrels or cisterns can collect the rain, a gift from nature that your plants will enjoy much more than treated municipal water.

Take your time

All of this might seem like a lot, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once. “It’s a long-term project,” says Nicholls. “Gardening is all about next year.” And from garden to garden, from community to community, small actions combine to create big change.

“All of these things are important, and they do add up,” says Lazarovic. Plus, “saving a couple of bees because they now have a place to hang out for a few hours is wonderful.”

It can help to think of climate-friendly gardening as a tool for empowerment, not a source of stress. “The climate crisis, among all the other social and political issues that we’re facing right now, can feel so overwhelming and scary,” Careri says. “Connecting with the natural world is healing not only for us, but for the Earth and all the living systems that sustain us. That represents an immediate, hope-filled, tangible step forward that anybody can make.”