The idea of an American landscape brings forward images of closely shaved turf grass on the exteriors of a home. Unfortunately, these so-called “traditional” landscaping choices are increasingly proving to be expensive — in terms of money, health and environment.

It's shocking to know that an average American household spends about $100 to $200 per month for lawn care activities like mowing, chemicals, water etc. Additionally, lawn care activities are also linked to environmental and health hazards that can threaten our health and the fragile ecosystems around us.

Although the US has devoted more than 40 million acres (and counting) to these green carpets, experts are calling for a re-imagination of this design. By shifting to sustainable landscaping alternatives like native plant gardens, you can still stay ahead in the market and probably get a more lucrative deal than you did with lawns.

What are Native Plants?

Native plants are plants that have naturally grown in a particular region for thousands of years without human intervention. These plants have established relationships with native wildlife, including insects, birds and animals. Native plants adapt well to the natural climatic and soil conditions of a region. They also require less water (due to deep root systems), fewer fertilizers and pesticides to thrive well.

What are the Benefits of Native Plants?

Let us take a look into some of the many functional and aesthetic benefits that native plants offer:

1. Native plants increase in value over time as they fill a space with greenery and become more lush
2. Once established, native plants require almost no care and can thrive without human dependency
3. Most native plants are weather resistant and can survive with less water, fertilizers and maintenance
4. Native plants eliminate regular activities like mowing and fertilizers, saving a great deal of money annually
5. Native plants add color and beauty to your yard, instantly attracting onlookers and prospective home buyers
6. Planting native species is a sure way to attract more birds and local pollinators like bees and butterflies to your yard. Along with taking pride in your role as a steward of these beautiful creatures, you and your family can have a great time watching them live in action.

Thinking of Replacing Your Lawn with Native Plants?

The best part about growing native plants is that you do not need any prior experience or a "green thumb". Anyone with an open space can grow native plants and transform their yard into a natural habitat for local biodiversity.

Before introducing native plants to your garden, we recommend making a note of these points:

• While choosing plants, ensure that the species is native to your area and can easily adapt to the local weather, water and soil conditions.
• It's always a good idea to start small. Bring in a couple of plants belonging to one or two different species to understand how natives work. Once you get a hang of their behavioral patterns, you can keep expanding your collection.
• Maintaining plant diversity also helps in ensuring your garden supports local biodiversity by creating plenty of food and habitats.

My Home Park Native Plant Collections - Easy solution to design native plant gardens

If you are new to native plant gardening, you are likely to feel overwhelmed at the choices of plants in your local nurseries. Finding species native to your area and pairing different native plants together in order to get your desired results, might drain your energy and make you want to take a back step.

Here is where My Home Park can help you kickstart your native plant garden journey by doing this work for you.

My Home Park's Native Plant Collections for Landscaping

My Home Park has done the hard work for you. The team has not only identified the right plants native to your zip code but has curated collections of native plants to help enhance biodiversity and bring beauty to your yard. These native plant collections are selected to grow well with each other, provide all-year visual interest and attract a wide variety of pollinators to your yard.

Think of it as buying a finished sofa instead of assembling individual parts of the furniture like the frame, cushion and springs!

You can browse pre-designed native plant collections for your state by clicking here.