Download A Free NativePlant Garden Plan For Your Specific Region

For most of history, gardening has been about taming nature. Whether extracting edible elements from the soil or simply for the splendor of an ornamental landscape, horticulture has long shaped the wild world.

Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. But given the current state of land use, it's time to move away from manicured gardens with non-native species in favor of more natural areas, and especially to adopt native plants.

“From 2001 to 2017, the United States lost a natural area the size of a football field every 30 seconds, and if this trend continues, an analysis by Conservation Science Partners published in 2019 determined that it would be a natural of southern size. "The Dakota will disappear between now and 2050," according to the nonprofit Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. Wild Ones "promotes environmentally conscious landscaping practices that conserve biodiversity by conserving, restoring and creating native plant communities."

Native plant communities are key to supporting pollinators grappling with the tragic challenges of habitat destruction, pesticide use and climate change. Native plants also provide food and habitat for wildlife, reduce erosion and improve soils, reduce flooding, sequester carbon, filter water, and more.

Among the great resources that Wild Ones offers are the original garden designs that are free to download. (These detailed ecological zone maps are also handy to have on hand.) Each of the 19 designs was created by a professional landscaper and is designed for a specific ecological zone in the United States:

"We can no longer leave conservation to conservationists," said Doug Tallamy, director of Wild Ones Lifetime. Native plant gardens in the private and public spaces of our communities are our best hope for saving the environment, she said, "we are." now we need to act collectively to bring our ecosystem together.”

Wild Ones CEO Jen Ainsworth agrees. “It's really important for us to rethink the space we have (our yards) and our approach to managing public space in our community. We must adopt sustainable practices and promote health and well-being in any lifestyle. Our hope is that our original landscape plans will inspire, encourage and motivate the people of the United States to make these major changes in how they view their landscape. Nature depends on the participation of all of us”.

We love garden plans and all things good. Wild Ones promotes more sustainable ways of using our gardens. Note that you can also join the Wild Ones chapter to find gardeners in your area. Seed swap, anyone?