Step1
Determine your plants' water demands. One of the most startling aspects of a trip to Arizona is the contrast between lush lawns and raw desert on vacant plots next door. As global warming proceeds unabated, the climate changes of the past few years is expected to intensify. Much of the American Southwest is in the throes of a drought. Yes, that golf course-quality grass looks like a great reminder of home in Ohio, but it demands water and care. In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power has planted a drought resistant garden at its headquarters as an example of creative landscaping with plants that tax the water supply less, as the flora better resists pests, and fires than imports from elsewhere. Since these local plants evolved nearby, they require less fertilizer as well.
Step2
Bring back the trees. Americans cleared trees to plant crops. When we first started rolling out suburban housing tracts, it was a lot more labor efficient to clear the trees and build the homes on the lots consistently rather than worry about running afoul of roots or tree limbs. Today, we’ve come to recognize that native local trees can serve a number of functions on our property.
Deciduous trees can cool and warm your home. Plant maple, birch or oak trees around your house and you’ll have shade from the summer heat. When those trees lose their leaves, the sun will shine through, exposing your home to valuable rays in the colder months.
If evergreens are local for you, plant them in the path of the wind. In cold winter months they make great wind breaks.
Step3
Avoid the consequences of invasive plants. Introducing non-native plants can have a dire effect on the local ecosystem. A few years ago my mother showed me a pretty flowering plant in her backyard on the edge of a New England lake. She told me it was an invasive plant. It looked harmless until I learned that when it sneaks into a wetland, loosestrife edges out indigenous plants in competition for sunlight, water and nutrients. In some areas, loosestrife has replaced half the local population. When the local plants go, so do the species that depend on them for food including insects, waterfowl and more.
The most famous example of an invasive plant was introduced 130 years ago to the U.S. as an ornamental vine. Kudzu a native of Japan spread through the south like a brush fire, growing as fast as a foot a day, starving tree seedlings by blocking sunlight. Kudzu now covers 7 million acres of the southeastern United States.
Step4
Use native plants to restore your ecosystem. If you need help in determining what to plant, visit a local nursery. The experts there can help you choose plants that will not only protect your soil from erosion and look good, but serve as fodder for local animals, like birds, butterflies and squirrels. Lawns that resemble a putting green won’t attract wildlife.
By choosing the right local plants, you’ll have an attractive garden and yard that is more ecologically friendly. It will demand less care and money, giving you more time to enjoy it.
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