![A person laying in the sun enjoying a garden. A person laying in the sun enjoying a garden.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-thumbnail.jpg)
Creating a sustainable garden in a large space may seem daunting, but not if you ask award-winning author, horticulturalist and international garden designer Kate Frey of Hopland, California. Frey breaks down the basics and simplifies how to get a large-space garden started.
Frey’s passion is experiential and participatory sustainable gardens. She believes in experiential and participatory sustainable gardens. The idea is that sustainable gardens give back. They leave a lasting impression through the fragrance of flowers, the colors of foliage, the taste of herbs or fruits, the interaction of foliage with the sky and a profusion of blooms filled with busy forms of insects and birds. See Frey’s steps to getting started, below, and learn how to create your own sustainable large-space garden even pets will enjoy.
Assess Your Climate
![A person holding dirt in their hand. A person holding dirt in their hand.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-1.jpg)
Know your local climate, including temperature range. Know whether it’s humid or not, or arid in general. Also know whether your area experiences a deluge of raindeluge of rain or a lack of it. Also learn the average frost dates for your area.
Build a Foundation
![A person hoeing a garden. A person hoeing a garden.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-2.jpg)
For any sustainable garden, you’ll want to create natural soil fertility with compost. Increasing your soil’s organic matter helps develop good structure, porosity, oxygen, drainage and water retention. Just dig compost into your soil or simply add several inches to the top.
Control Weeds
![A butterfly on flowers. A butterfly on flowers.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-4.jpg)
Before planting anything in the garden, consider controlling weeds with a natural weed barrier. If you have time, start the process at least six weeks ahead. It helps set up your garden for success, whether starting from scratch, or working with an existing large-scale landscape. Sheet mulching, or a layered barrier method, works well. Just spread and overlap corrugated cardboard, such as cardboard boxes, across the area you’re reclaiming for a garden. For small areas, use a garden hose and soak the cardboard with water. With large areas, use a sprinkler. Then, take a shovel and put down a 4-inch layer of compost. It’s simple, and there’s no need for heavy equipment. Better yet, plants love this natural barrier because earthworms dig it. They will eat the cardboard and lay eggs in it.
Consider Drip Irrigation
![A drip irrigation system. A drip irrigation system.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-3.jpg)
For a large-scale, sustainable garden, try drip irrigation on a timer. Because the water is delivered slowly, it soaks into the ground around plant roots, reducing runoff and saving you money. Another benefit: water goes directly to plants and so it minimizes weed growth.
Choose the Right Plants for the Right Place
![A colorful garden and barrel. A colorful garden and barrel.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-5.jpg)
A lot of common landscape plants are forgiving. But not all grow where you want to plant them. Once you determine what your soil and climate type is, be sure to select native and non-native plants appropriate for your garden. For example, notice where the sun hits or where shade exists. Be sure to seek out plants with flowers that attract beneficial or predatory insects to your garden. Use a lot of these types of plants. Also include an array of plants that provide nectar to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. When in bloom, your garden will become a flower and life-filled paradise.
To name a few blooms, try aster, salvia, anise hyssop, sunflowers, cosmos and sweet alyssum. Read more about plants that attract pollinators and perennials to plant in summer.
Make It an All-Plant Approach
![A person planting seeds. A person planting seeds.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-6.jpg)
For many, building hardscapes into your garden can be expensive. But everyone can enjoy plants because they are affordable. In the right season, you can even start some plants from seed. In addition, some plants can be divided, and you can make more of them, so even if you can’t afford a lot, you can make more plants over time and share with neighbors. Plant-based gardens also remove the need for mowing grass, because there is none.
Start Naturescaping
![An image of a cobblestone pathway. An image of a cobblestone pathway.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-7.jpg)
Instead of concrete walkways, use natural materials such as wood chips and landscape rocks to create garden paths through your landscape.
Add Nesting Houses and Shrubs for the Birds
![Two birds on a birdhouse. Two birds on a birdhouse.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-8.jpg)
Another way to keep the beauty of your garden in sync with nature is to add nesting birdhouses and shrubs just for fine-feathered friends. They’ll love a place to nest or hide. Make sure to include trees, shrubs or perennials that have fruit, berries or seeds that birds feed on. More than 90 percent of birds feed their young insects. Flower-filled gardens generally have an array of insects in them beneficial to gardens that birds avidly feed their young. Birds also need fresh water at all times.
Sit Back and Enjoy
![People dining in an outdoor setting. People dining in an outdoor setting.](https://contentgrid.homedepot-static.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOMNEW/Articles/how-to-create-a-sustainable-garden-in-a-large-space-2022-step-9.jpg)
Once your garden begins blooming, watch nature takes its course. Let the beneficial insects and other pollinators do the work in your garden while you sit back and enjoy the show. But you might need a garden bench for that.
Remember, a sustainable large-space garden doesn’t need to happen overnight. It’s a garden to build on over time, and one that gives you more plants season after season.
For hands-on ideas, stop by gardens created by Frey, including the pollinator garden at Cornerstone Sonoma in Sonoma, California.
Frey not only creates sustainable gardens, she also is a columnist for the Press Democrat newspaper in Sonoma County, Calif., and a garden educator offering classes as co-owner of the American Garden School in Northern California. She co-authored “The Bee-Friendly Garden,” a book that won The American Horticultural Society’s Best Gardening Book of 2017. Frey’s gardens won two gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, a rare honor for an American designer.
This handy guide shows you a simple way to create a sustainable garden. Download The Home Depot Mobile App and have everything you need shipped straight to your door.