Be a Climate Responsive Gardener

7/17/2025

How You Can Be a Climate Responsive Gardener

Practical tips for mitigating or adapting to climate change in your garden

Climate change is transforming the way we care for our gardens, impacting everything from soil health to plant choices and water use. This guide offers practical, actionable ways to adapt to and ease these changes through sustainable gardening practices. You do not have to implement everything at once—every small change helps. By embracing climate-responsive gardening, you can help protect the environment, support local ecosystems, and create resilient, thriving green spaces for the future.

Climate Responsive Gardener-v20250717.pdf

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Follow the links below for more information about each action listed.

1. Build soil health

Because… improving soil health increases plant growth, increases the availability of some nutrients, boosts carbon storage, and helps lower greenhouse gas emissions.

• Use mulch to keep the soil covered. Cover the soil between plants with 2-4” of organic mulch from natural materials, such as shredded leaves, finely ground wood chips, straw or grass clippings.

• Add organic matter. Add organic materials like compost or finely ground pine bark (commonly referred to as pine bark fines) to topsoil; avoid peat moss since harvesting it releases large amounts of CO2.

• Do soil testing. Determine the soil's fertility by collecting a sample and sending it to a soil testing lab to ensure that you’re adding enough nutrients and the right amount. Apply any recommended nutrients during active plant growth.

• Reduce soil disruption. Practice “no-till” or “low-till” gardening by leaving soil undisturbed to preserve its structure and microbial life, preventing compaction, water loss, and erosion.

2. Conserve water 

Because… collecting rainwater and using efficient watering methods saves water, reduces runoff, improves water quality, and helps refill underground water supplies.

• Keep water on your property. Use rain gardens with native plants, rain barrels, and permeable surfaces like flagstones to absorb runoff and reduce stormwater system pressure.

• Water wisely. Use drip irrigation, water early or late in the day to reduce evaporation, adjust watering practices based on rainfall (measure with a rain gauge), and collect rainwater for reuse.

• Choose and arrange plants with water conservation in mind. Group plants by water and sun needs, use drought-tolerant species for your region, create rain gardens in water-collecting areas, plant a border garden to slow runoff, and mulch around plants to retain soil moisture.

3. Make climate-conscious plant choices

Because... planting a diverse mix of species—with varied bloom times, structures, and functions—supports pollinators, boosts soil health, cuts maintenance and emissions, conserves water, and builds climate resilience.

• Prioritize native plants. When possible, incorporate native plants into flower beds and create native gardens to support pollinators, enhance ecosystem health, and reduce the need for irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.

• Consider plants that are native to warmer zones. Plan forward by considering recommendations for species that will be adapted to our future climate, not just current conditions.

• Include “keystone” plant species. Identify and include zone-appropriate plant species that host the most caterpillars and pollinators, which in turn provides food for birds and other wildlife.

• Diversify plant species. Plant a diverse mix of perennials, annuals, and shrubs to build resilient ecosystems that can better resist pests, diseases, and changing climate conditions.

• Make smart choices when choosing varieties. Avoid or consider replacing high-maintenance, disease-prone plants and remove or do not buy plants that aggressively spread (like periwinkle, English ivy, and squill)

• Choose plants that trap and store carbon longer. While alll plants store carbon, choose trees, shrubs and perennials over annual plants when possible.

4. Rethink lawns

Because… replacing portions of traditional turfgrass lawns with native groundcovers, meadows, or edible landscapes decreases maintenance, emissions from lawn equipment, water and fertilizer use. 

• Reduce traditional lawn areas. Plant meadows, native gardens, bee lawns or use alternative ground covers like no-mow grasses, sedges and low-growing spreading perennials.

• Plant resilient grass species. Choose species such as fine fescues that have lower maintenance requirements compared to more commonly grown Kentucky bluegrass and are more drought tolerant.

• Add flowering plants. Include low-growing plants like clover, creeping thyme, and self heal to lawns, providing food for pollinators.

• Recycle grass clippings. Use a mulching mower that chops cut grass into fine pieces that decompose in place or rake clippings to use as mulch in garden beds.

• Leave fall leaves on your lawn. Turn dry fall leaves into mulch by chopping them finely with a lawn mower. If up to 50% of the grass is visible, leave chopped leaves on the lawn; if there are more, bag them for use in the spring.

• Practice low-input lawn care. Recognize the natural growth cycles of grass; discontinue excessive watering and fertilize according to the needs indicated on a soil test.

5. Grow food in a home or community garden

Because… growing your own fruits and vegetables helps cut greenhouse gas emissions from food processing and transport, reduces fossil fuel use, and boosts local food security.

• Maintain a vegetable garden. Choose vegetables you like and grow them in whatever type or size of garden or container fits your needs.

• Choose climate-resilient fruit varieties. Select plant varieties bred for resilience to Minnesota's changing climate conditions, including drought or heat tolerance.

• Incorporate edible landscaping. Design landscapes that include vegetables, fruit trees and berry bushes to combine aesthetics with food production.

• Adopt cover cropping. Plant cover crops like oats or field peas in the off-season to prevent erosion, enrich soil, suppress weeds, and store carbon.

• Practice crop rotation. Move vegetables to new spots yearly to prevent nutrient depletion and reduce pest/disease problems.

• Extend the season. Use cold frames or hoops covered with plastic sheeting to extend the growing season, protect crops from extreme weather, and improve yield stability.

6. Plant trees

Because… planting more deciduous trees provides summer shade, cuts down on heating and cooling costs, and supports wildlife. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, cool the air, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help manage runoff by slowing water and soaking up large amounts of it. 

• Support community tree planting. Add trees and shrubs to your property if possible, and participate in efforts to plant trees in your community.

• Use trees to reduce energy demands. Plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your house or outbuildings to provide shade protection from summer sun, and warmth from winter sunlight after the trees lose their leaves.

• Protect existing trees. Avoid cutting down large trees unless necessary, monitor trees for signs of trouble (like pests, diseases, or choking invasive vines), and follow pruning recommendations specific to the species.

7. Practice sustainable garden maintenance

Because… adjusting garden routines can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect ecosystems, and promote soil health.

• Choose low-emission garden practices. Lower your carbon footprint with electric or manual tools and energy-saving devices like LEDs, timers, and solar products.

• Consider sustainability when buying garden products. Avoid synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and peat-based potting mixes to conserve natural resources.

• Reduce use of chemical pest controls. Use chemicals as a last resort within an integrated pest management (IPM) approach, following label directions and applying only what’s needed at the right time.

• Rethink what needs weeding. Some plants considered weeds provide benefits for pollinators and soil health—remove only those that are invasive or harmful to your garden ecosystem.

• Compost yard and food waste. Create your own compost system or use municipal composting programs.

• Leave stems and leaves over winter. Hold off on most garden clean-up until spring to provide winter protection for soil and insects, and cut back stalks in spring to 8-24’ for stem-nesting pollinators.

8. Be a climate-conscious gardener

Because… gardens are part of a broader plant community, constantly shaped by environmental changes. Climate shifts will challenge how we maintain traditional gardens, requiring us to rethink long-standing expectations.

• Approach garden problems with curiosity. Rather than rushing to fix garden problems, take time to understand their causes—research the weeds, pests, and conditions influencing your garden’s growth.

• Understand that your garden will change. Ongoing garden challenges can be frustrating, but they may signal it’s time to adapt—try new plants and track changes yearly to guide your approach.

• Experiment in the garden. As your garden changes, try out resilient, adaptable plants that thrive under current conditions and resist pests or disease.

• Connect with other gardeners. Connect with local gardeners to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and learn together how to adapt to a changing climate.

• Embrace biodiversity. Include a variety of plants. As conditions shift, some will thrive, others may not, but together they foster resilience and support wildlife and pollinators.