Add mulch or compost to your soil to retain more water and reduce evaporation. Water your outdoor plants early in the day so you to reduce evaporation. The best place to water your plants is directly on the roots.

Use the rain! A water butt collects rainwater from your roof and downpipes. The rainwater can then be used for watering plants in your garden, washing cars or rinsing windows. Be sure to put a screen on top of your barrel to keep out insects and debris, and make frequent use of your water supply to keep it from getting stagnant and yucky.

Vendor Information

• Dublin County Council are selling water butts on a pilot basis. Water butts cost €40 on a collection only basis.

• EcoStore sells a variety of water butts

Mother Nature doesn’t need chemicals to keep her garden gorgeous, so throw out the chemical pesticides and use natural compost as fertilizer. So check out our Organic section for natural ways to keep the pests away.

Opt for pots, planters and raised-garden kits made from recycled materials. It takes less energy to recycle something than to mine virgin materials, so choose recycled copper, plastic, or even rubber to pot your plants. Take a second look at your food containers before you bin them – sometimes with a few holes drilled in the bottom, and a nice fabric or ribbon wrapped around them those containers make perfectly lovely plant containers.

Vendor Information

* Eco Plastic

Yard waste, manures, and most food scraps can be composted to make lovely, fertilizing soil. Composting helps to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill, this saving you money on your bin charges. Plus, it provides you with a cheap way to keep your garden green and healthy.

See Composting for more details

The right plants can provide food for caterpillars, lady bugs, frogs, etc. , which in turn provide food for larger animals like birds and foxes. By encouraging these insects and animals in your garden, pest control can now be solved by nature. See our Wildlife section for more details.

Eating locally grown foods is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the environment, and it doesn’t get any more local than your garden! Start small with DIY projects as simple as growing foods such as herbs, tomatoes, or lettuce in pots. If you enjoy that, look further afield to grow as much food as you have space in your garden.

Check out our Home Grown Food section for all you can eat!

Don't have enough space at home to Grown Your Own? Get an allotment!

Being Green doesn’t have to mean living rough! Check out the Garden Furniture section to make your garden more luxurious and still keep it green!