Zero Waste Garden: Practical Tips for Sustainable Gardening in Denver, Colorado
It’s hard to go cold turkey with anything, and a zero-waste lifestyle is no exception. But since you’re reading this blog, you are likely already taking a step into producing less food waste, not just with packaging, but with creating less carbon emissions too!
Incorporating zero waste principles into gardening is a great way to make your garden more sustainable while reducing your environmental impact. Here are some practical tips to help you achieve a low to zero-waste garden.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
Zero Waste Gardening Tips
Composting, Upcycling and Reusable Materials
Saving Your Seeds for Sustainability
Natural Pest Control and Fertilizers
Mindful Product Purchasing
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Composting in your Denver garden
Recycle Organic Waste:
Compost kitchen scraps, newspaper, and even cardboard to create nutrient-rich compost for your garden. This reduces landfill waste and enriches your soil naturally. We have been loving the aerobin composter to compost at home without inviting pests into the bin.
Compostable Materials:
Use fallen leaves, grass clippings, and plant prunings in your compost pile instead of throwing them away. Be mindful not to add anything that is diseased or has been treated with an herbicide or pre-emergent.Hugelkultur:
Filling beds using a modified hugelkultur method (filling the bottom half of garden beds with logs, leaves, grass clippings, compost or any other organic matter you have available) gives new life to organic materials and keeps them out of the landfill!
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Geobin Composter in Denver, Colorado
2. Upcycling and Reusing Materials
Containers and Planters: We love using our sustainably sourced wood for our raised beds, but you can use almost anything like buckets, old pots, heat treated pallets, or scrap wood to build your beds.
Garden Tools: Repair and maintain garden tools instead of replacing them. You can also look for second-hand tools instead of buying new ones - we love ARC!!
Rainwater Harvesting: Set up a rain barrel to collect rainwater, reducing water waste and conserving resources for watering your garden. Or utilize an underground passive rainwater system to sequester water from the gutters into the soil and reduce runoff.
Zero-Waste Sustainable Raised Garden Beds in Denver, Colorado
3. Seed saving for your Denver garden
Save Seeds:
Collect seeds from your plants at the end of the season to replant next year. This reduces the need to buy new seeds and ensures you're using plants adapted to your local environment.Swap with Neighbors:
Engage in seed swaps with friends or local gardening groups to diversify your garden without generating waste. Did you know that the Denver Public Library has a free seed library???
4. Avoid Single-Use Products
Reuse Old Pots: Biodegradable pots are awesome, but can get costly season after season. Instead use upcycled food containers or purchase quality seed starting pots to reuse over and over agin.
Natural Mulches: When mulching the garden use natural mulches like leaves, straw, or animal bedding which will decompose and enrich the soil over time. We love storing a few bags of fall leaves to use throughout the year on our beds and in our compost bins.
Natural mulch in Colorado Garden
5. Natural Pest Control
Homemade Remedies:
Create natural pest deterrents using ingredients like garlic, mint, or dried pepper flakes. This reduces reliance on chemical pesticides and avoids packaging waste.Encourage Beneficial Insects:
Plant flowers and herbs that attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, wasps, lacewings, syrphid flies, and even spiders, which all help control pests naturally.
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wheelbarrow with compost in Denver backyard garden
6. Zero Waste Fertilizers
DIY Fertilizers:
Make your own fertilizers using worm castings or compost tea. These are effective and help eliminate the waste associated with commercial fertilizers.Green Manure:
Grow cover crops like clover or legumes that can be tilled back into the soil to add nutrients naturally.
7. Mindful Purchasing for your Denver Backyard Garden
Buy Locally:
Purchase seeds from local Colorado seed growers. Buy soil in bulk whenever possible and look for other locally made gardening supplies.Choose Sustainable Brands:
Support companies that use eco-friendly packaging and practices.
By integrating these zero waste practices into your gardening routine, you’ll not only create a thriving garden but also contribute to a healthier planet. Small changes in how you manage your garden can have a big impact on reducing waste and supporting sustainability.
Ready to start your zero-waste gardening journey? Share your own tips or questions in the comments below! Let’s grow greener together.
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Meet the Gardener
I’m Elisa Mack - a mom and Denverite who went from being a green-ish thumb to a kitchen garden fanatic simply by dedicating myself to the study of all things Colorado gardening.
Landscapers don’t design. And nurseries don’t make house calls.
We take a more full-service approach, from designing your dream garden to keeping it beautiful year-round.
And as your coach, I’ll help eliminate the guesswork through every season, no matter your level of knowledge.
