There’s a new movement happening called “Rewild Your Yard.” The idea is to remove the non native grasses that don’t provide anything for native pollinators and to put in its place an array of beautiful native flowers and shrubs. I am in the process of doing this at my own house.
There are some different ways to do this. One is to remove all of the grass and to just randomly place different native plants throughout the space. When it’s mature, it typically looks like something you’d see in a prairie. There is definitely beauty in this. (Though lawn fanatics may see it as “an overgrown mess” and call the city on you.)
The second way to do this, which is my favorite, is to design the space so that it has balance and a more groomed appearance. By focusing on the width and height of plants, we can design the space so that it looks pretty neat and tidy yet still allows you to Rewild your yard. For example, at my house I have the sidewalk lined with native Muhly Grass. This provides a nice border that will be a real show stopper in late summer and into the fall. By having it this way, it helps contain things and makes it look a bit neater.
Rewilding a yard can feel overwhelming. If you want to do this but don’t know where to get started, consider doing a 10X10 section at a time. Or, start off by doing a border.
How does this work? Do you help create designs for people's yards? I've been pondering How and where to add trees and bushes in my front and backyard. Backyard is fenced and high traffic with 4 dogs.