This 70 year old man is punching the holes into roof slate that allow it to be nailed in place. This is all done by pumping the machine with his feet. No electric motor, it is all being done by human power the  way it has been done for centuries. Slate products such as stepping stones and flag stones can be used for lawn and garden decor.

Linda tells about how she over came the winter cold in her greenhouse to keep her plants safe and growing.

Linda from Garden Accent Heaven shows you some of the plants that she grew over the winter inside of her greenhouse.

Balancing Pond

Reduce, reuse, recycle, composting – if you think that these are the only ways to have an eco-friendly garden, think again. Today’s modern homeowner wants aesthetic quality and sustainability

Sure, you want to have lush flowering shrubs or a beautiful and utilitarian herbal garden – and it pays to help the environment while you’re at it.

What are the elements to incorporate in the design to have an eco-friendly garden? Read on to find out.

Eco-Friendly Garden Designs

Basically, your goal when mapping out a plan for your garden is to make sure that it is sustainable, beautiful, useful and eco-friendly.  Here are some important elements that you can Incorporate in your garden’s design to assure that it will not cause harm to the environment:

Eco-friendly Plants

Do your best to have all plant species be eco-friendly. Plants should attract wildlife and create biodiversity in your garden. Eco-friendly plants should increase the population of butterflies, bees and birds.  These plants can be beautiful to look at as well.

Sustainable Materials

From the flower pots to the garden furniture you use to design your garden, all items should be made from sustainable materials. Do these items require less energy to be manufactured, shipped, and installed?   Consider, are these items less harmful to your garden and the environment?
Rainwater Harvesting

It is reasonably easy and not too expensive to incorporate diverters, down sprouts and rain barrels to collect rainwater.  Your plants prefer rainwater over tape water.  Rainwater harvesting is an ideal way to irrigate small gardens.

Balancing Ponds

The main purpose of balancing ponds is to hold and store flood water in case there is excessive rainfall. The installation of balancing ponds on larger acreage will retain a certain volume of water and enhance the performance of the garden by retaining nutrients, organic matter and collected sediment.

By incorporating just these four elements into your garden design, you can easily have an eco-friendly garden that is a beautiful outdoor retreat. You can do your share in helping save the environment.

About the Author – Emma Spivey writes for http://www.solarwaterfountains.org her personal hobby blog focused on tips to design an eco-friendly garden using solar power.

Spiral Glass Hummingbird Feeder

GardenAccentHeaven has added the entire Schrodt Line of bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, butterfly houses and bat houses to its website. The Schrodt Lantern Hummingbird Feeders are  exceptionably elegant feeders. Their great looks and practical design make a good addition to your lawn and garden outdoor decor. We have them in our backyard and the hummingbirds fed at them daily.

The Hummingbird Lantern Feeders come in several designs. There are etched glass, faceted glass, silk screen glass and just plain glass. Check out the photos below of these wonderful looking hummingbird feeders.

Bats are nature’s natural mosquito and other small flying insect control agents. Mounting a bat house up high where it is warmed by the early morning or south sun will help attract bats to your lawn and garden.

Hanging Butterfly House

Butterflies are wonder to watch. The Schrodt line has a very attractive Butterfly House with etched design glass sides that lets you see the butterflies nesting inside. These Butterfly Houses area  great  habitat that can be pole mounted or hung. We also offer a butterfly feeder and butterfly nectar on our secure website.