Before going green was even fashionable or even that well known, I began to substitute chemicals and plastic products for natural and biodegradable types. This was all fine and well, and I became so successful at going green that I began hosting small seminars and outdoor classes about what I was doing and how I was doing it.
One of my problems was an area of about ½ an acre of scrub and thorn bushes that bordered the entrance directly into the camp I used to work at in the summers. No one really knew what to do about this, and it was initially decided that I should just mow it all down and lay down some grass sod. That probably would have looked nice, but it didn't keep with the theme that we were going back to a natural way of camp.
A few years before this, I had taken some courses in environmental landscaping. One of the things I learned about was that the entire Midwest originally had vast amounts of prairies, filled with grasses and wildflowers unique to the area in which I lived. On the day I began to mow down that scrub to ready it for some sod, an idea struck me out of the blue: go native! And by that I mean, cut down the scrub, till up the soil, and plant native prairie grass and wildflower seed. It would be a showcase for the camp, native wildflowers and grasses in all their glory, and what's more, it was something anyone could do with even a tiny plot of soil.
It turned into the most beautiful little ½ acre of all the 180 acres of land we had. Because the plants were all native, they all reached maturity at different times of the year. We always had new wildflower blooms every month, virtually until the first frost, and it became the most popular spot to have campers pictures taken with a background full of native plants, accentuated by all the lovely little wildflowers.
Believe it or not, there are other benefits besides the sheer beauty it will bring. First of all, it's completely free of maitenance. No watering, no pesticides, no trimming or cutting. Many types of native animals and birds feed specifically on native types of plants, seeds and the insects the native plants attract, so if you are into animal and bird watching, you will attract a far more diverse array of different animals.
There are other benefits too. Native plants take in more CO2 than grass, which obviously helps the environment. Less lawn care is required, resulting in less fossil fuel combustion, less water usage, no pesticides and on and on.
By planting natives is bringing back the natural beauty of what it used to be like. You are taking a little piece of the sustainable past and allowing it to grow once again, and you are giving your eyes some of the best viewing that they’ve ever seen. Just that right there is worth it, for you, the earth and the plants themselves.
All you need to do is call up your very own Department of Natural Resources, and they will be able to take it from there. Many DNRs feature seed packs of native plants indigenous to your area, and it may be as simple as just that one call, Because Action speaks louder than words.
Source: BecauseAction.com
