As 2024 draws to a close, now is a good time of year to look ahead and think about how you might improve your home and garden in 2025. Winter is a particularly good time to do this, as there’s less to do outdoors, plus you can plan from the comfort of indoors.
One trend which isn’t going anywhere is the preference to do home and garden improvements sustainably, so as to be as gentle on the environment as possible, using eco-friendly materials where you can.
This is a collaborative post.
Here are two ideas for outdoor improvements which won’t, in the most literal sense, cost the earth:
Get a Gabion Basket
If you’ve not heard of these before, gabion baskets are typically used as retaining walls to control erosion and stop slope soil from sliding. They can also create short-term flood walls or perimeter fences, or you can use them more decoratively, for example as planters or pond surrounds.
These baskets are wire mesh, and you can fill them with different materials but, most often, people use gabion stone. They’re pretty easy to assemble, and the stones allow water to pass through them quite freely so there’s natural drainage.
You can also create a bigger, stronger structure by stacking the baskets to form a wall.
Their long lifespan reduces the need for regular replacements, minimising the consumption of resources, which, in the case of these baskets, are plentiful and renewable. Gabion baskets also create a breathable barrier, encouraging good vegetation growth.
Finally, as well as being cost-effective, they’re versatile and can be picked up and reused in different parts of your garden – another reason gabion baskets are highly sustainable garden features.
Think Teak for Outdoor Furniture
Winter is also a good time for thinking ahead to the summer and balmy evenings of sitting outside until late – indeed, having something to look forward to can help get you through the long, dark winter nights. If you’re thinking of replacing your outdoor furniture, there are many good reasons to consider teak rather than any other wood.
For a start, teak, which has a rich and long heritage, is naturally dense, strong, durable and weather-resistant, making it highly sustainable, and items made from it are investment pieces. Then there’s the fact that it’s so low-maintenance and easy to clean. Plus it naturally resists pests, fungi and chemicals.
What’s more, teak ages beautifully, like a fine wine, so that it looks even more stunning as time goes on. That’s because, as teak weathers, following exposure to the elements, its colour changes from a warm honey-gold to a beautiful silvery-grey patina.
High-end, beautifully crafted teak dining sets provide the perfect way to enjoy outdoor meals and your garden for years ahead. Buy items together, or build your own set with individual pieces you love.
In particular, A-grade heartwood teak, which comes from the best part of the tree, is especially durable and hardwearing. As a species, teak is renewable rather than endangered, especially if you choose certified products sourced from ecologically managed plantations.
So give it serious thought as an option for sustainably enhancing your outdoor space for next spring and summer.