GREENWICH, N.Y. — It’s here, it’s Earth Day! What a great reason to get outside and do something good for Mother Nature.

I love the early spring, and some of my fondest memories with the kids have been about getting outside and working around the gardens and the yard. Picking up sticks, trash by the side of the road, raking. I remember doing it with my dad, and I love to do it with my kids.

So take the day to celebrate. Celebrate the fact that you can get outside and work! Celebrate the fact that you have wonderful people in your life who you can work alongside! But most of all celebrate our mother, the planet Earth, from which all of our blessings flow!

When you’re a gardener, every day can seem like Earth Day! But if you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate this April 22nd, here are a few ideas that might inspire something new in your garden. Let’s get outside, enjoy Mother Nature, and support our planet!

1. Plant a pollinator garden

Any garden is a celebration of Earth Day! But a garden grown especially for pollinators is a great way to say ‘thank you’ to our planet. Many of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy are thanks to a multitude of small insects that need food and habitat year-round. So consider them while planning and planting: could you fit a few flowers at the edge of your garden, underneath a tree, or tucked beside a shed? Seek out native plants that benefit bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. Many of these plants will also look wonderful around your home!

2. Compost your food waste 

Do you ever feel guilty about throwing away your leftovers? You’re in luck, because you can turn those lettuce leaves back into food for your plants! 

There are a multitude of ways you can go about composting these food scraps: invest in a worm bin, or any number of new home-based technologies. You can subscribe to a home-composting service, and have someone do the composting for you. Or you can compost in a more traditional way, adding a variety of organic materials to a pile, keeping it damp, and turning it frequently. 

3. Get creative with your garden

Take a moment to admire and observe your garden in a new way. Collect leaves, mulch, twigs or stones to create a collage. Gather flowers to press in a book. Find some art supplies – or even just a pencil and paper – and let your garden inspire you. There’s no better way to reconnect with your landscape and your garden than slowing down and appreciating what’s in front of you. 

4. Be water-wise in your landscape

Are you experiencing drought in your area? Look at ways you can conserve water: mulch, utlize water catchment systems, or setup a drip irrigation system. Do you have too much water? Consider slowing runoff with plant species, utlizing swales, or diverting rainwater. 

While about 71% of Earth’s surface is comprised of water, only a tiny portion of that water can be used for drinking and irrigation. So let’s be water-wise in our landscapes, and make the most of this precious resource!

5. Donate to the Daily Dirt IndieGoGo campaign

Do any of the previous ideas sound interesting to you? Well, here’s your chance to support a new gardening service that promises to expand your gardening horizons! 

Donate to the Daily Dirt IndieGoGo campaign here. 

We want to make the most of your time in the garden, so you can spend less time scrolling and more time digging! 

“On Earth Day we get back to our roots, and are reminded about the bounty that Mother Earth provides us, when we offer up our love to our planet,” says Morning Ag Clips Publisher and President Kate Ziehm. 

Keep up with the Daily Dirt on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And don’t forget to check out the IndieGoGo campaign here!

About the Morning Ag Clips: Morning Ag Clips collects in one place breaking local and national agricultural news every day. We give millions of farmers, ranchers, industry leaders, advocates, educators, and friends of farming the quick one-two on agriculture happenings delivered through our website or state-by-state e-blast. We are America’s #1 Daily Ag News Source. Follow the Morning Ag Clips online (www.morningagclips.com), on Twitter (@AgClips), Instagram (@MorningAgClips), and on Facebook (@MorningAgClips nationally plus any of 28 state pages).