Natural Landscaping or “naturescaping”

Landscaping with natures wildflowers and grasses improves the environment. Natural landscaping brings a taste of wilderness by attracting a variety of birds, butterflies and other animals. Once established, native plants do not need fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or watering, thus benefiting the environment and reducing maintenance costs.

Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment.  There are a variety of ecosystems in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. Many of the plants found in these ecosystems can also thrive in your yard. These native plants are attractive and benefit the environment. Many native plant seeds or seedlings are available from nurseries for landscaping. While these native plants are yours to admire in the wild, they must remain in their natural setting to ensure that they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Native plants are beautiful, hardy and once established require less maintenance than a conventional lawn. The native flowers and grasses also function much like a natural system, with diverse plants providing food and shelter for a host of birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. Within northeast Connecticut, and beyond, people are incorporating native plants into their landscapes.

Landscaping with native plants improves the environment. Native plants are hardy because they have adapted to the local conditions. Once established, native plants do not need pesticides, fertilizers, or watering. Not only is this good for the environment, it saves time and money. A native landscape does not need to be mowed like a conventional lawn. This reduces the demand for non-renewable resources and improves the water and air quality. Landscaping with native wildflowers and grasses helps return the area to a healthy ecosystem. Diverse varieties of native birds, butterflies and animals, are attracted to the native plants, thus enhancing the biodiversity of the area. The beauty of native wildflowers and grasses creates a sense of place, both at home and work. The native plants increase our connection to nature, help educate our neighbors, and provide a beautiful, peaceful place to relax.

Reduced Use of Pesticides

Since native plants have adapted to local conditions, they are more resistant to pest problems. Sometimes individuals use non-persistent pesticides, which break down into harmless components, before sowing native plant seeds to minimize competition from the weeds. Once the native plants are established, pesticides are seldom needed.

Improved Air Quality

Native landscaping practices can help improve air quality on a local regional and global level. Locally, smog (ground level ozone) and air toxics can be drastically reduced by the virtual elimination of the need for lawn maintenance equipment (lawn mowers, weed edgers, leaf blowers, etc.) which is fueled by gasoline, electricity or batteries. 

Native plants help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by taking in CO2 and storing the carbon in the body of the plants, roots and soil. Native plants work much better than traditional mowed grass as a carbon sink due to their extensive root systems and increased ability to retain and store water.

Improved Water Quality

In conventional landscaping, pesticides are often wrongly applied at times when target insects are not vulnerable. Overuse and inappropriate use often kill beneficial insects and other wildlife. Less than 10% of all insects are harmful to plants. Pesticides have the potential to cause serious human health problems when not handled properly or applied according to the label directions. By eliminating or minimizing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, these pollutants will not run-off into streams, lake, and bays. This improves the quality of the water and the aquatic life in it. In healthy water systems. natural controls, such as fish, frogs, and snails will help keep insect populations under control and reduce algae buildup.

I