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Sustainability - What can I do?

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How to put nature first

Advice and tips from the experts we work with, on how you can put nature first in your garden at home

Ashley Edwards

Rethinking our gardening mindset

Ashley Edwards

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Charlie Harpur

Guide to wilding your garden

Charlie Harpur

Find out more

Three Ways to Encourage Wildlife in Your Garden

Crocus head gardener advice

Three Ways to Encourage Wildlife in Your Garden

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Water capture

RHS Chelsea flower show gold medal winner Sarah Price shares her best tip to use rainwater in your garden.

“I often introduce shallow dishes of rainwater within my gardens,” Sarah says. “Carefully positioned, they mirror the sky and tree canopies, whilst importantly attracting wildlife such as birds, pollinators and mammals. Equally important is rainwater collection; water butts are easy to install and safely store rainwater from rooftops.”

choose_permeable_materials_for_paving_and_pathways

Choose permeable materials for paving and pathways

When we think of gardens, we tend to focus on the planting, but hard surfaces like paving and pathways really play a vital role in the functionality, and subsequent enjoyment, of our outdoor spaces. Providing easy access and creating defined, designated places to gather, eat, or simply sit quietly, allow us to move around freely without getting muddy.

In most urban environments, a good percentage of the ground tends to be covered in buildings, roads, pathways, and playgrounds, and all this impermeable surfacing can sometimes result in flash flooding in heavy rain. Even in our gardens, sheets of water can form and channels can be gouged, eroding soil in borders and damaging our precious plants. Even worse, runoff into drains (and subsequently into rivers or streams) can contain many pollutants, many of which would naturally be filtered out if passed through the soil first.

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Resilient planting

When choosing your plants, remember that different parts of the garden will probably have different microclimates (sun, wind, available water, etc), and for longevity, you want to find those plants that will thrive in the space you’ve earmarked for them.

Native plants that are accustomed to your garden’s soil and climate will tend to adapt easily (and require less ongoing maintenance), while groundcovers are useful for suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion.

Finally, companion planting (where synergised plants are grown side by side to mutually enhance their growth, health, and productivity), can be a valuable tool to have under your belt in resilient gardens, because it will help foster a thriving ecosystem. It’s worth exploring.

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© Crocus.co.uk Ltd 2026. All rights reserved.