By Lindsay E. Brown / Source: EcoChick

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If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space larger than a fire escape in NYC, it’s time to prep your backyard for the warm-weather months.

Not only are eco outdoor spaces the perfect place for relaxing and entertaining, but cultivating your garden can also alleviate stress and anxiety. It will also provide an opportunity for you to slow down and reconnect with the natural world. Many of us work in offices throughout the week and it’s so important to spend quality time outside whenever possible.

Here are five, simple ways you can make your outdoor space as warm, inviting and eco-friendly as possible.

1) Go wild
Although the temptation might be to cultivate manicured lawns and neat flower beds, letting a patch of your garden grow spontaneously is actually very good for the environment. Wild flowers, plants and shrubs are havens for vital wildlife such as birds and insects, and bees in particular. Bees play an essential role in human health, but our increasing use of chemical-laden pesticides in gardens has put them at risk.

Try to resist the urge to trim and spray, and let nature take its course.

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2) Grow your own veggies

There’s nothing quite so satisfying than tucking into a meal made with vegetables you have grown from seed. Not only do organic vegetables taste fantastic, but the process of growing and eating your own vegetables is incredibly environmentally friendly. Think about all the food miles you will save, not to mention the packaging. If you’re a novice, do seek some advice on what might be best for your soil, and start with something easy like potatoes or beans.

3) Embrace your green fingers
Frequent gardening is a wonderful way to keep fit and healthy. If you add up the time you spend in the garden compared to, for example, using machines in the gym, it’s easy to see how your garden can help reduce your carbon footprint. To make the most of your outdoor space, do some reading first – gardening guides and online tutorials will help you determine which areas to focus on, and what to plant when. Investing in an initial consultation with professional gardeners could also help you gain the confidence to do it alone.

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