Plants that have developed locally are much more likely to be adapted to your environment than imported plants. For example, what's this obsession with lawns that always need watering and added ferts? Replace your lawn with plants that already love your soil and climate!
As a bonus, your local wildlife will thrive because it will be able to find plants that offer it a natural ecosystem.
This is something we're slowly moving towards.
Natives tend to be far lower maintenance which means you can put more effort into the vege garden. That's where the real benefit lies.
Also consider putting in food bearing plants as part of the "pretty garden". Spinach looks quite impressive and means you can eat organic rather than one of the "Dirty Dozen". Same for fruit/nut trees, strawberries and other plants.
in April 2009
I've got 12 Pekin ducks grazing on my front lawn, I only cut the grass once a year as a precaution against fire.
in May 2009
Ducks are great pest catchers. They eat slugs, snails and other bugs and graze. Chickens are great too, but scratch stuff up and their sharp pecking beaks can damage spinach etc.
in May 2009
Stu L. 41° pledged to do this 1274 days ago
J. DeVere Warner 110° pledged to do this 864 days ago
