For homeowners with a lawn and garden in San Jose that demands a significant amount of water to survive, switching to a native plant garden can be appealing. If you live in a hot, dry climate and want to have a garden that is more eco-friendly, then use the following tips to transition into native landscaping:
Change how you think about gardening.
When making the switch to a garden of native plants, it’s important to change the way that you think about landscaping. Through gardening shows and magazines, many people have learned that there are specific plants that every homeowner should have in their yard, regardless of where they live and that if their soil and climate do not support these plants, they should alter the environment to accommodate them. Eco-friendly landscaping takes the opposite approach and focuses on using plants that are naturally adapted to the area in which you are living. Making this change not only allows you to use less water, but it also provides a better environment for your area’s wildlife and pollinators.
Familiarize yourself with local plants.
After deciding that you want to plant a native garden, it’s important to get to know what plants are well-suited for your area. If anyone in your neighborhood has a native plant garden, speak with them about what plants they selected and how they went about the process. Also, think about how much of your current landscaping and lawn you would like to retain. While many people choose to perform a complete overhaul during this process, there may be an area of your yard that you enjoy and want to leave as is.
Visit a native plant nursery.
Once you have an idea of how you would like your yard to look and what plants you might prefer, stop by a local nursery that sells plants native to your area. Speak with the staff about which varieties do best where you live and if you will need to make any changes in your soil composition to accommodate them. After developing a plan, you’ll be ready to start your native plant garden.
