Your property impact – By its nature, your property will have an impact on the environment. Development often has an adverse effect on plants and wildlife. As a result, habitats can be altered or destroyed in the process of building a home or office. Local diversity can be reduced.
Some of this is inevitable, but there are plenty of ways that you can reduce the impact of your property. You can mitigate any damage caused and allow wildlife to thrive.
Reduce the impact of your property with planting
To reduce the impact of your property make sure that any garden or outdoor space you have is planted with non-invasive, non-toxic plants. Did you know that hydrangeas can be toxic to all sorts of animals, even domestic pets? If in doubt, check up with a local nature reserve or charity to find out if there’s anything you really shouldn’t be planting.
Sedum plants are easy to care for and are particularly attractive to butterflies and bees
Encouraging wildlife will reduce the environmental impact of your property
Gardening proactively will also reduce your environmental impact. Choose flowers that bees and insects like. Put up bird boxes and don’t pick all of your fruit – leave some out for the birds and insects that live in your garden.
Let it go wild
If there’s an area of your garden you’re happy to allow to grow wild, do so – the less cultivated an area is, the more wildlife it hosts, the smaller your impact.
Use natural compost made from food waste to fertilise your flowerbeds, rather than chemical fertilisers. To reduce your impact opt for natural weed and slug killing options. Try not to put more chemicals into the environment than you absolutely need to.
Add a green roof and really reduce your impact
Another great way to create an extra habitat on your property is to install a green roof. A living roof provides extra space for plants and grasses to grow. This will boost diversity and help to put valuable oxygen back into the atmosphere. It’s also a great way to add insulation to your home and to reduce the amount of fossil fuels you put into the atmosphere. It might just reduce your heating bills too, hopefully!
A sedum roof not only looks good, it insulates the building and helps wildlife
If you’re planning a new build or would like to install a sedum roof on your existing home or business please get in touch. We can talk through our installation and maintenance options to boost your building’s eco credentials.