Creating Sustainable Landscape with Native Plants

Sustainable landscape is developed as a measure to the environmental damages created due to overuse and exploitation of our resources. The practice involves creating landscapes both residential and commercial that are in balance with the local habitat. It should be cost-effective with high aesthetic value and environmentally friendly that can be maintained by individuals and communities. Sustainable landscape creates an inclusive habitat that supports ecology and provides an in situ environment to local flora and fauna. Sustainable development is not only guaranteeing a future for mankind but also for the physical and biological environment. Destroying the native ecology through development and creating new sustainable spaces is like a trade-off. Rather, identifying the native feature of a habitat and supporting its growth, should be the more promising feature of sustainable development.
Why native plants?
A sustainable practice is usually thought to be eliminating chemicals, minimizing use of water, preventing soil erosion and using kitchen waste as compost that is propagated widely as self-sufficient measure to protect the environment. But sustainable landscape involves one of the most important features that is growing native plants. Native plants add benefit to the process of sustainable landscape without being adequately watered, fertilized or even protected with chemicals, which has adapted to the local climate condition and insect predation. Apart from saving water and creating a chemical free growing, the native plants invite wildlife like butterflies, birds and insects that can co-exist with the plant ecosystem. Plants form the fundamental of the food chain as all other living forms are either directly or indirectly dependent on the plants. The most important class of species that depends directly on plants for food are insects. Like animals, plants have also developed defense mechanisms that keep insects and other animals from eating them. These are mostly toxic chemicals making the plant inedible that are harmful for insects and other animals. But native plants have coevolved with insects that had a long time to adapt to the defense mechanism of native plants making their relations symbiotic. For example, native milkweed has a toxic chemical in its sap that makes it unpalatable to most insect species, Monarch caterpillars being the notable exception. And, Monarchs can only eat Milkweeds so if Milkweeds were to disappear there would be no Monarchs
Our concern for nature The migration of people to urban areas has created the need for more land to be brought under the use to meet the growing population. Agriculture and construction activities have led to collapse of our pre-settlement landscape devastating the balance of the ecosystem. Added to the destruction are our modern trends in landscaping with commercial plants. These are magnificent to the eyes of mankind but are not ecologically sustainable. The sale of commercial plants which are alien to our landscape are promoted with various offers that are becoming invasive now, affecting the habitat. The insects have not had enough evolutionary time with the alien plants causing an unsuitable food pattern for them and the animals that are dependent on the insects. Therefore the situation creates a disruptive food chain affecting the behavior of our ecology. Gardening with colorful lawn and attractive flowers is not an effective pretension of our love for nature; rather unknowingly we are indulging in more damage to nature.
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Sustainable Landscape in North America 
In order to promote sustainable landscaping, native plant societies are set up by nature enthusiasts. These societies coordinate with government, public and business to create awareness and grow native plants. The North American Native Plant Society (NANPS) is a charitable organization working in educating and promoting native plants among business and public. NANPS conducts plant sales, seed exchanges and maintains native plant societies. The key purpose is to provide information and to inspire an appreciation of native plants with an aim to restoring healthy ecosystems across the continent. There are some organizations in building sustainable community gardening like the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). This organization works to engage the community in food, ornamental gardening and urban forestry. It supports preservation and management of open space, and integrated planning and management of developing urban and rural lands. There are societies like American Herb Association, American Horticultural Society, California Rare Fruit Growers, Botanical Society of America and other such societies that support particular native plant variety. The vacant land in business firms, institutions and public spaces can be utilized to promote native plants and grow our local food.
Building a sustainable landscape is a great way to undo the mistake done to our habitat. Our progress would be affected in a disorderly habitat and if the present situation continues, it leaves nothing for the future generation. Even the commonly found species now would become rare for our children. The question of what we can do to protect our habitat should take cognizance of how we can do it rightly. Our behavior with regard to nature should be guided by principles that are best for both physical and biological environment. Throughout history man-nature relationship has been that man dominated nature for his own benefits. But we should be aware that natural catastrophes are signals from nature for us to pull the chain and caution ourselves that we cannot continue this destruction. The principles of sustainable development is to reorient this attitude of man to become one of stewardship. Sustainable landscape is one approach where along with human needs, the essentials of other living organisms are valued.

Author

Gayathri Ilango

CEO - Founder

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