Gardening for Life / Doug Tallamy Lady beetles need native, pesticide free plants, so their larvae have a supply of aphids availableChances are, you have never thought of your garden – – indeed, of all of the space on your property – – as a wildlife preserve that represents the last opportunity we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S. But that is exactly the role that built landscapes are now playing and will play even more in the near future. If this is news to you, it’s not your fault. We were taught from childhood that plants are decorations and our landscapes are for beauty; they are an outlet for expressing our artistic talents and an oasis for having fun and relaxing in. And, whether we like it or not, the way we landscape our properties is taken by our neighbors as a statement of our wealth, our social status, and our willingness to follow cultural norms.To read more, visit homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamy/not-in-our-yard-doug-tallamyLesser Goldfinch perched in native Bigtooth mapleShare this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading... Published by Elliott@PW Elliott Gordon View all posts by Elliott@PW