Sustainable Gardening in Sonoma County

Sustainable gardening may sound like a complicated concept, but it isn’t technical at all. Its fundamental idea is to engage in contact with the earth without harming the natural world.

	Choose the right plant for the location. Learn more here.
Practice water conservation and protect water quality. Learn more here. Use garden practices that conserve energy and recycle materials. Learn more here.		Nurture the soil with compost and mulch. Learn more here. Solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. Learn more here.
	Create habitats that support birds, bees and other beneficial wildlife. Learn more here.

Sustainable gardens

Include plants appropriately selected for garden sites and conditions
Nurture the soil ecosystem with composted organic amendments
Control pests using ecologically sound management methods
Create habitats compatible with native fauna and pollinators
Recycle materials and avoid excessive use of fossil fuels
Manage available water through appropriate plant selection and irrigating and by preventing rainwater runoff

In essence, sustainable gardening depends on an awareness of a plant’s needs and attributes. It preserves and nourishes the vast and critical underground ecosystem that supports all plant life. It recognizes that native fauna have long depended on native plants. It conserves critical but limited resources with an eye on the future. And perhaps most important of all, sustainable gardening values and protects these resources and other life forms without causing harm.

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