Why You Should Consider “Non-Greening”
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to gardening to relax, learn a new skill, grow their own food, and/or make their home or yard more inviting.
But now, almost three years later, their lives may look very different, perhaps because they won’t have time to care for their garden. Others may still have time, but are now more interested in filling their yard with plants native to their area.
Whatever the reason, if you’ve had a garden in the past, there’s no rule that says you must keep it up all the time. If you are ready to let go of the situation, problem solving may be for you. Here’s what you need to know.
What is “non-greening”?
“Non- greening “, also known as wildlife restoration, means encouraging the growth of native plants in your once-manicured garden . Like a bee lawn or wildflower garden, the idea is to give the earth a chance to live a more authentic life by supporting plant species and (eventually) other wildlife as it did before humans.
The goal is to create an open space that makes the most of natural resources and, as a result, requires much less maintenance than traditional lawns and gardens.
How to green up an open space
The first thing to know about garden maintenance is that it takes more effort than simply neglecting your current garden and waiting for something else to grow in it. Although native gardens require less maintenance than carefully cultivated ones, they do require some initial planning and work.
Here’s what to do :
- Do a little research . Before you begin, find out what plants grow in your area.
- Remove any invasive species : Some people also remove non-invasive non-native plants from their yard, but if nothing else, get rid of anything invasive.
- Come up with a plan : There are many different factors at work in a natural garden, so take the time to figure out what will work together as an integrated system, taking into account everything from pest control to pollination and irrigation.
- Install Native Plants : Ideally, bees and other pollinators will help them spread and grow.
- Make it attractive to local wildlife : Make sure there is food, water, and suitable habitat for any wildlife and birds you want to relocate.
- Have patience : the process does not happen overnight. In fact, it will take years to fully develop, although most of this will be done without human intervention.
Should anything happen along the way, your local expansion office can be a great resource.