The climate crisis reached new heights in 2024. According to the World Meteorological Organization, rising sea levels and temperatures will be irreversible for centuries, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest it’s been in the last 800,000 years, and weather phenomena like El Niño broke heat records for the 10th year in a row.
With these trends set to continue in the following years, the climate crisis remains a constant reminder of the importance of living more sustainably. If you already do, however—such as by gardening to support pollinators, minimize pollutants, save water and energy, and grow food—consider taking further steps to make your methods more climate-resilient.
After all, the climate crisis can affect all aspects of plant health. Extreme weather events like drought and storms can kill them, higher carbon dioxide levels can alter their growth patterns, and acid rain can degrade soil health. That said, how can you garden more effectively amid the climate crisis?
Select native, resilient plants
When choosing plants for your garden, consider more than just aesthetics. In particular, native rather than invasive varieties are more likely to thrive where you live, will require less water and fertilizer, and can even support the survival of local wildlife. As a general rule of thumb, at least 70% of your garden should include native plants.
Hardier, more climate-resilient plants will be easier to care for regardless of season or extreme weather events. Many of them are pretty, too—the lace-white flowers of the mountain mint, for example, are attractive both to people and pollinators, while beardtongues come in a variety of colors but are tough enough to flourish all year round. That said, it shouldn’t be too hard to find hardy, native plants to your liking.
To source your plants and seeds, check if there are any local initiatives you can take advantage of. In New York State, for example, public-private partnerships between the government and the Greenbelt Native Plant Center provide gardening supplies to residential garden owners, who often avoid using native plants due to inaccessibility.
Conserve your water
Aside from the obvious cost savings, conserving water while gardening is vital if you live in drought-prone areas like Arizona and New Mexico. It’ll particularly help reduce water waste and keep your plants thriving, especially when local governments start limiting outdoor water use in dry weather.
To get started, consider using soil made up of 4% to 5% organic matter and arranging your garden for more efficient irrigation. Vegetable gardens, for example, can be organized in blocks rather than rows. When watering plants that require frequent irrigation—like fruits and vegetables—go slowly until five to six inches of the surrounding soil becomes damp.
To prevent overwatering, you can use a smart water controller so you don’t need to manually check your soil moisture too often. You can buy a smart water controller on QVC, which offers a wide range of gardening tools for garden and yard care. The Eve Aqua Smart Water Controller can be used to automatically shut off your hose or sprinklers via Bluetooth—so it’ll work even without an internet connection.
Nourish your soil
Aside from conserving water, healthy soil will give your plants structural support, improve their yield if you’re growing food, and make them less prone to pest infestations. Given how easily the climate crisis degrades soil, the best way to keep it healthy is by using compost.
Composting food can hit two birds with one stone—namely, nourishing your soil while helping reduce food waste in the home. That’s especially vital since the latter makes up 20% of the content in today’s landfills. Things as simple as yard trimmings and food scraps can create finishing compost that acts like a sponge, helping your plants absorb more nutrients. If you live on the West Coast and have some left over, you can donate it to Recology, which will distribute your compost to vineyards, orchards, and farms across the region.
Prepare for extreme weather
Finally, future-proof your garden for extreme weather conditions. For drought-prone areas, that can be as simple as placing barrels under your roof’s downspouts to collect rainwater. Just be sure to cover them when it’s not raining to prevent bugs from breeding inside. In cities and towns that often get hit by storms or hurricanes, planting trees will ensure your garden has windbreaks to keep it safe. However, your biggest concern will be preventing floods from drowning your plants. One thing you can do is make space for a rain garden. Simply create shallow depressions and fill them with plants rooted in absorbent yet free-draining soil. These will absorb runoff to reduce flooding and can be especially helpful for urban gardens.
