Goal: Develop plant communities that serve as a foundation for a healthy ecosystem.
Use lawn only when it performs a specific function such as a play surface, pathway, or foreground for plant display, thus reducing extra inputs of chemicals, energy and time.
Turf Grass Madness: Reasons to Reduce the Lawn in Your Landscape >
Groundcover Alternatives to Turf Grass >
Planting and Maintaining a Bee Lawn >
South Greenhouse Garden (A no-lawn garden at UDBG) >
Eliminate the use of and remove vegetation that can harm ecosystems, such as recognized invasive species.
DE Official Invasive Species Plant List >
Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and their Native Look-Alikes >
Plants for a Livable Delaware >
Choose plants that are adapted to the site’s conditions and support local wildlife.
Pollinator Plants Mid-Atlantic Region >
Controlling Backyard Invasives >
Consider replacing alien species with appropriate native species that achieve the same purpose (e.g. aesthetics, function).
Meadows & Buffers for Bees: Creating Mid-Atlantic Pollinator Habitats >
Native Plants for Delaware Landscapes (trees & shrubs) >
Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping (Chesapeake Bay Watershed) >
Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies (i.e. scouting, life-cycle knowledge and decision-making based on that information).
Protecting Pollinators at Home: Smart Pest Management >
Organic Approved Pesticides Overview >
Penn State Extension Weed Identification >
Univ Mass Amherst Weed Herbarium >
Maintain and increase vegetative coverage to increase biodiversity.
Supporting Biodiversity in the Garden >
Monarch Waystation Brochure >
Monarch Waystation Program >
Delaware Gardening: Challenge to Newcomers >
Preserve as many important (mature, healthy, native) plants as possible.