There are only winners in a sustainable garden full of exuberant bloomers and shady greenery: happy insects, fluttering butterflies and satisfied people. Fortunately, we have plenty of ideas and inspiration. And we like to share that.
The green book
Why invent the wheel yourself when enthusiastic garden experts take us by the hand with love?
1. Your own paradise
Casper Boot helps unleash a green revolution. He does this with sustainable ideas and simple DIYs to make the garden even greener € 21.99 (dewereldvansnor.nl)†
2. The Green Garden
In this book, Floor Korte leads the reader step by step to a green garden. € 25 (floorsmoestuin.nl).
3. Balcony gardening and roof terrace
Melanie Öhlenbach chose as subtitle More sustainable and greener doesn’t get any better. She shows how we can consciously garden in containers and pots € 17.99 (fortegroen.nl)†
4. From gray to green
Tile out, green in! A well-known slogan by now, but how to start? Green Climate Square is chock full of tips that we can put into practice right away. From the construction of facade gardens to subsidies for green roofs. greenclimateplein.nl
5. Splash
No space for (or need for) a fully-fledged pond? A wet biotope in the garden is made in no time with a mix of basins and troughs. Fill with a layer of pond soil, combine stem, underwater and floating plants and before you know it, dragonflies, frogs and salamanders will come and go. For containers, plants and inspiration: intratuin.nl
6. tea?
40% of all household waste is bio-waste and can be composted – without strange odors and in an award-winning design bin. Fill this worm composter with worms and they turn eggshells, tea bags, plant and green waste and wilted flowers into food for garden and potting soil, i.e. compost and worm tea. Worm composter € 164.50 (dewiltfang.nl)
7. Balconies
A romantic balcony full of lush greenery is very healthy for people and the environment. It contributes to rainwater harvesting, biodiversity and combating heat stress. In addition, it is natural to enjoy blooming flowers, herbs and vegetables. Tip: listen to the Pollinator podcast while ‘balconying’, a cheerful plea for more biodiversity. (thepollinators.org)
8. Good start
Very healthy broccoli, zucchini, eggplant and cauliflower. They are effortless to grow with the Healthy Veggies Starter Kit, which includes seeds, trays, coconut fiber tablets and crystal clear description. € 4.50 (hema.nl)
3x flower power
Those who garden regularly produce less stress hormones, sleep better and have a healthier immune system. Handy gardening aids:
9.
Garden kneeling cushion with floral print €39.50 (celinadigby.co.uk).
10.
This bucket hat from Maje protects against bright sun € 85 (debijenkorf.nl)†
11.
These Ethel gardening gloves are the result of a collaboration between Mechanix Wear and the Victoria and Albert Museum €32.45 (bol.com)†
12. Roof garden
Why go for a jet black bitum roof, when you can also opt for a green variant? Because it contributes to biodiversity, acts as a buffer for rainwater and filters CO2 from the air. For example, opt for a (vegetable) garden in the shed or sedum in the bicycle shed. Sempergreen sedum mat €29.99 (intratuin.nl)
Isa Hoes (54) is the brand new green mayor of Amsterdam. She is going to commit herself to more greenery in the capital.
What a nice news! “Yes, my heart skipped a beat when I was asked! I love plants, they make me happy and I know that applies to more people. Every empty bin in the city could be a mini garden. I hope that our mission From Grauw to Green will become visible in many places in the city!”
Why do you think that is so important? “If we go from gray to green, it not only means that neighborhoods become healthier, greening together also creates more solidarity between people. And in this time we are ready for that. It also benefits biodiversity. And green makes for a nice feeling. In fact, there are an incredible number of benefits that can be attributed to greening.”
What if readers have a good green plan? “We are opening a digital green letterbox where anyone can submit a green project until September 1. We will support and help realize the nicest and most beautiful projects.”
Do you have green fingers yourself? “I don’t know if I really have green fingers, but that’s not important either. So don’t let the term scare you, because anyone can put a plant in a pot. It’s fun to see if and how something works. And if a plant doesn’t do it, you learn from that too. I recently got a roof terrace and can’t wait to get started there!” degreenletterbox.nl
100% bird friendly
Help the feathered friends find a safe place to snack, rest and nest.
13.
This oval brown nesting box from Capi is produced climate neutrally and fully recyclable € 18.95 (vogelhuisjes.nl)†
14.
The Bird Silo from Pidät made of recycled plastic works like a grain silo € 59 (manufactum.nl)†
15.
The sustainable bamboo fiber birdhouses from Point Virgule are available in different colors and shapes € 17.95 (originalshop.nl)†
16. Long Will They Live
Sustainable garden expert Anne Wieggers is known for the TV program BinnensteBuiten and her sustainable gardening books. She also put together an e-course for IVN Nature Education: A living garden. In five modules we learn how to make the garden a vibrant place for people, plants and animals. From garden plan and construction to maintenance. Kneeling pad € 12,- (fiskars.eu) ivn.nl
17. Gently taps the rain…
Indispensable in a sustainable garden: the rain barrel. This smart water station is a design by product designer Floris Schoonderbeek. The Raintap collects the rainwater and also stimulates its use with a tap, foot pump and sink. A convenient place to fill the watering can and wash hands and tools. Rain tap € 379,- (raintap.eu)
18. Sweet Lupine
If you would like to welcome more butterflies, bees and bumblebees into your garden, you can think of lupine. This strong perennial with spectacular flower plumes blooms in various shades of pink, purple, blue and white, creates a great height accent in the border and is excellent as a cut flower. Lupine € 2.99 (intratuin.nl)
19. Color Bombs
Blossombs are made with organic wild flower seeds and produce flowers that make butterflies, bees and people happy. The flower bulbs can go into the ground up to and including September and burst open with the first downpour. Blossombs do well in the garden or on the balcony, but also in a bare roadside or on a vacant piece of building land. Blossombs seeds from €1.95 (blossombs.nl)
20. Be welcome!
We are doing our garden a big favor by opening a small insect hotel. Nature loves all those crawling and flying creatures. They help with pollination, control pests (bye bye aphids) and serve as food for birds. Insect hotel € 8,- (hema.nl)
21. Pool becomes pool
The best garden trend of 2022 is perhaps the swimming pond. Harmful chlorine is fortunately unnecessary, because aquatic plants – together with a filter installation – help to clean such a personal pool. Good to know: we never swim alone in a swimming pond, birds, frogs and water spiders are frequently seen bathers. lilypond.nl, gardenswimm.nl
Photography: Mark Uyl for Mooiwatplantendoen.nl (Isa Hoes)