Homemade Solar Cell

Gone are the days when you needed to rely on supermarkets for your supply of fruit and vegetables; you can now grow your own produce at, or near your home. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way to help save the environment, while at the same time being a fun activity for you, your friends, and your family.

There are other benefits too: a cheaper food shopping bill, gentle exercise, and an appreciation of where fruit and vegetables come from. You will need to decide where you are going to grow your produce: in the home, in the garden, or on a plot of land. Read about all the options to find out which is best for you.

In the home You don’t have to have a garden to get green – a sunny windowsill will do just fine! Make your own herb garden by filling a few empty yoghurt pots with some earth and seeds and you’re good to go. You might also decide to go for a window box. With this option you could grow your own lettuces or tomatoes.

In the garden If you are willing to dedicate part of your garden to your new green fingers – and green lifestyle – you could have barrels of fruit and vegetables at your disposal. A small patch is a perfect place to grow potatoes and green beans, but if you don’t want to sacrifice your flowers and other plants, try planting in-between them. Just make sure you put pegs in the ground so you remember where to find them!

Need more space? If you don’t want to use your garden for your fruit and vegetables, or don’t have enough space on your windowsill for your ambitious plans, you could look for an allotment near you. You may even find that your town or city has a community garden scheme. If not, Landshare matches land with growers, and the National Trust is offering allotment space on their land.

For other ways to help save the environment, try to conserve the amount of water, electricity and gas in your home; this will hopefully bring you a cheap gas or other utility bill too. When going shopping, bring a reusable bag with you to reduce the amount of plastic being sent to the landfill. Try to recycle everything you can, and then teach others how to do so.

Philip Youngwoodwrites on number of energy related topics including how to get cheap gas bills.