10 Reasons to Consider Natural Landscaping

Development of new land almost always means the removal of native vegetation which is in most cases replaced with flora, not native to that particular area. New landscapes have a tendency to evolve into sterile yards, dominated by lawns, not welcoming to the local wildlife and in addition, they require a lot of fertilizers, pesticides and water.

The aim of xeriscaping is to conserve water and has nothing to do with native flora. Xeriscaping does help the environment by being oriented toward draught tolerant plants instead of infinitely thirsty lawns or the kind of plants that need daily watering. Naturalistic landscapes, however, are a whole different level – they are environmentally conscious.

Natural landscaping means the use of native plants exclusively. Native vegetation are plants that were growing in certain area before the first European settlers came to America. Some plants are misidentified as native or non-native due to errors, made by botanists or - more often, the general public. Furthermore, a plant that is “commonly grown” in an area is not the same as “native plant”.

Here are some reasons why naturalistic landscaping is so important and environmentally friendly:

1. A combination of native flora and wildlife means balanced ecosystem. Native plants provide food and shelter to local wildlife. Oftentimes one plant is at the same time a shelter and a source of food. Planting a wide variety of native plants in your yard is the best choice you can make.
2. If there’s a wetland area along the perimeter of your property, where runoff from heavy rains is accumulating, this is a perfect place to grow moisture-loving wildflowers and shrubs. Hence, you are not limited to draught-tolerant plants only which adds the diversity to your naturalistic landscape and provides home for more different wildlife species – even without building a pond.
3. Your great results are almost guaranteed if you stick to native flora that naturally occurs around your home. These plants are naturally best adapted to the existing growing conditions and will require the least watering and no fertilizing.
4. In balanced, native ecosystem, most native plants will recover from pest attacks without an intervention of a gardener. Keep in mind that every pesticide also kills the beneficial insects, not just the predators.
5. Established native plants will most likely thrive on rainfall – no additional watering or fertilizing needed.
6. Shady areas around your home can be a big energy-saver for air-conditioning in hot summer time.
7. If you don’t want to remove all the exotic plants from your yard, keep the ones that are not invasive and require no additional watering and fertilizer.
8. Invasive exotics should stay in planters or be grown as houseplants.
9. Natural landscape designs are a lot easier for you to maintain (once established, they require minimum work) and a lot better for your natural system.
10. Last but not least, environmentally sensitive gardening also includes growing your own fruits and vegetables. If space is a problem, there are lots of edible plants that thrive in planters, containers or window boxes. Even an inexperienced grower can grow certain herbs which are not fussy at all, as long as you can provide a sunny spot.

Consider your choices. Start with small changes, replace one exotic plant at the time with a native one, or turn a small portion of your thirsty lawn into a bed with all native vegetation. Observe the difference in maintenance (there’s almost no pruning needed if the plants are spaced properly), plan on more natives in next season, and remember: every native plant growing in your yard is a step toward more balance in your natural system.

Copyright © 2007 D. Perse. All rights reserved.

D. Perse is a student of Herbology at Clayton College of Natural Health, passionate about growing herbs and collecting interesting facts about them, including history and legends, medicinal uses, recipes, growing tips and more. Website http://www.dariasworld.info is devoted to herbs and offers tons of free information for the purpose of educating and empowering, never to diagnose, prescribe or treat. Because one's health is in one's own hands.

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