As American homeowners become more aware of their impact on the environment, "rewilding" — switching from imported plants to local, native ones — has gotten more popular.
However, choosing the right native plants for a yard takes time and research, and many people who support growing native plants aren't sure where to start.
The nonprofit Wild Ones has made the process simple with a free online garden planner complete with native species lists, Good News Network reported.
What is the Native Garden Designs website?
Wild Ones has put together a beginner's guide to native-plant-based landscaping. It includes 19 different layouts, each one tailored to the environment of a different U.S. city.
Each layout consists of a printable illustration with labels for each plant, notes from the designer about how to care for the garden, and a list of the specific species used.
Why is this tool great?
Growing native plants in your garden is a reliable way to save money and time while keeping your yard beautiful. Unlike imported garden plants, native species are adapted to the local conditions. That means they need very little care or water aside from the natural rainfall in the area, and you can skip fertilizer and pesticides.
Meanwhile, native plants benefit the environment in several ways. No added chemicals means you'll avoid contaminated runoff that can pollute local water sources.
Native plants can also provide food and shelter to local wildlife, including endangered species and beneficial ones like pollinators.
Finally, you'll avoid introducing invasive species that could damage the local ecosystem.
The Native Garden Designs website makes the rewilding process easy by letting you skip the research stage. The plants are pre-chosen with local conditions in mind and arranged to give each one the light and water it needs to thrive while looking beautiful.
You can even create your own design using the premade one as a jumping-off point. The plant lists come with common and scientific names and photos of each species, so you can easily pick the ones you like best.
What other tools are out there?
If your city isn't on the list Wild Ones has put together, or if you want a yard design tailored to your specific needs, you can work with a company like Yardzen to create a native plant garden just for you.
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