Garden Musings: Balancing Native & Non-Native Plants in a Sustainable Landscape
FAQ: Why should I choose native plants over non-native plants for my clients’ landscaping projects?
Answer: According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), native plants have adapted to the local climate, soil, frost, drought, and other conditions.
Additionally, native plants can be local flora for a larger region, such as the eastern part of the United States or the southwestern United States.
You can also inform your customers and sales prospects about native plant landscaping through blog posts, landing pages, and newsletter articles using the keywords “native plants” and “sustainable landscaping.”
In this blog post, you’ll learn the following information about native and non-native plants, such as
- Defining native and non-native plants
- 7 benefits of using native plants in a customer’s landscape
- How to use non-native plants sparingly in a landscape
- 4 blogging ideas about native plants and sustainable landscaping for landscape companies.
Defining Native and Non-Native Plants
Due to climate change, you must be aware of sustainable landscaping when working with your clients. Your landscape projects will see more success when you use native plants for your area.
Native plants have naturally acclimated to your larger region over thousands of years. For example, native plants, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and Joe Pye weed, can handle the temperature fluctuations of the Northeastern U.S., including heat waves, dry summer conditions, and surviving snowy, cold winters.
Additionally, native plants are more insect- and disease-resistant in a particular region than non-native plants.
On the other hand, non-native plants have been introduced to local landscapes through human activity. Non-natives may do well in a specific region but require more nutrients, water, and insect control.
Likewise, non-natives can also be invasive, such as the following invasive plants affecting the United States:
- Alligator weed
- Black locust
- Barberry
- Dame’s rocket
- Empress tree
- Giant hogweed
- Honeysuckle
- Japanese knotweed
- Norway maple
- Tree of Heaven.
If you must use non-native plant species in your customers’ landscapes, ensure they aren’t invasive to your area.
Read more: Garden Musings – The Problem of Yellow Nutsedge
7 Benefits of Using Native Plants in a Customer’s Landscape
Native plants invite pollinators, birds, scent, and beauty to your customer’s landscape. They’re also low-maintenance for folks who don’t want to do deadheading and other plant chores between your visits.
Here are seven more benefits of using native plants in a customer’s landscape:
- You’re making a beneficial environmental impact.
“The insects, animals, and microscopic organisms in the soil all depend on the region’s native plants for survival…,” says the NALP blog post, Sustainability: Native Versus Non-Native Plants.
- Native plants improve air quality and prevent water runoff.
Native cultivars reduce the need for lawn mowers and other equipment. Native plant roots help to filter water and won’t contribute to erosion.
- Native plants are a better investment than non-natives because they take root immediately, are healthier, and are hardier than non-native cultivars.
You’ll find that your customers will save money on watering, insect control, and fertilizing.
- Native plants in the landscape tackle climate change.
Native trees, especially, do the hard work of storing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Also, native trees, such as oaks and maples, provide a home to caterpillars that momma birds use to feed their young. More birds means fewer insects and insect control.
How’s that for sustainable landscaping?
- Native plants, including trees, shrubs, and perennials, require less water, so your clients save money on their water bills while conserving water.
- Native plants feed pollinators.
Pollinators are an essential part of our food web. There’s a crisis with pollinators, including monarch butterflies and honeybees. Planting native trees, shrubs, and other plants in your customers’ landscapes helps to support these vital creatures.
Many native trees feed and provide shelter for mammals. While some customers may not care about sustainable landscaping, there will be some that do care deeply. Remind them we’re interrelated with our food web, and these customers will do their part in helping wildlife.
Learn more: Running Out of Blog Ideas?
How to Use Non-Native Plants Sparingly in a Landscape
Not all non-native plants are of the devil. Indeed, non-invasive, non-native plants that provide nectar, seeds, and nuts benefit bees and other beneficial insects that don’t rely on one specific plant for food.
For example, the monarch butterfly depends on milkweed, so if your customer wants to help it by planting milkweed in their flowerbeds, encourage them to do so.
Some pollinators benefit from non-invasive, non-native plants that offer nectar, seeds, and other food.
4 Blogging Tips for Landscaping Companies Using Native Plants and Sustainable Landscaping
So, how do you “educate” your customers and sales prospects about the benefits of native plants? How do you warn them about invasive, non-native plants?
Tell them in blogs, landing pages, newsletters, and other areas where you communicate with them. Here are some blog ideas to get you started:
- Transform Your Landscape: Tips for a Sustainable Landscape Makeover
- Uncover the Beauty of Native Plants: A Guide to Your Region’s Native Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers
- Spotlight on Nature: Native Plant of the Month
- Sustainable Landscaping: Growing a Greener Future.
I must confess that I used ChatGPT to come up with these titles. I first plugged in the blog topics and asked the AI tool to spice them up. There are many ways to develop more blog topics centering around native plants, non-invasive, non-native plants, and sustainable landscaping.
Interested in learning how AI helps you with your marketing communications? Then, fill out my contact form to learn more. I’m always happy to brainstorm and teach landscaping companies about effective marketing communications.
How the Landscape Writer Can Help You Promote Natives and Non-Natives in Sustainable Landscape Design
Want to learn more about blogging, website content, and landing pages? Or do you want to learn how to include blogging and other content creation in your landscaping business? If so, fill out my free consultation form.
Sources:
Audubon.org, Why Native Plants Matter.
Blog.LandscapeProfessionals.org, Sustainability: Native Versus Non-Native Plants.
DCNR.PA.gov, Native Plants for Landscaping, Restoration Buffers, and Meadow Establishment.
LurieGarden.org, Pollinators May Benefit from Mixing Native and Non-Native Plants.
MgManitoba.com, On Mixing Native and Non-Native.
