In Defense of Natural Landscapes
Those who wish to cultivate natural--and regenerative--landscapes can face headwinds from neighbors, HOAs and municipalities. But we can meet in the middle.
Pictured here is a red admiral butterfly alighting upon a purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea) in my front yard, just the other day.
Here is a bumble bee feeding upon a flower of “bee balm” (monarda fistulosa).
Here is a bee on a Maximilian sunflower (helianthus maximiliani).
And here is a monarch butterfly on white wingstem (verbesina virginica).
These butterflies and these bees can eat only because this landscape has plants that they consider food.
WHO IS PLANTING NATIVE AND WHY?
Though a majority of American households are involved in gardening, those who plant native plants for wildlife are still a small minority at 14%, according to the National Wildlife Federation. But the numbers are growing.
And for good reason. People have heard that pollinator populations are down. Insects, generally, are in steep decline. According to Dave Goulson, writing in The Guardian, insect populations have declined 75% in the last 50 years. This is a problem, because insects run the world.
Legendary biologist Edward O. Wilson declared, in 1987, that insects (and their fellow arthropods) are “The Little Things That Run the World.”
How does that work? Let’s give one example: Pollinators.
POLLINATORS RUN THE WORLD
The oxygen we breathe comes from plants. 90% of plants must reproduce via pollination. 90% of those require an animal—usually an insect—to perform the pollination services. No pollination ==> no plants ==> no oxygen to breathe.
How well would the human world—or the animal world—“run” if we could not breathe? It wouldn’t. Try holding your breath even for a minute, let alone an hour, a day, a week, etc.
How else are insects the little things that run the world? Let’s look at caterpillars.
CATERPILLARS RUN THE WORLD
Many homeowners want to exterminate caterpillars. But according to famed University of Delaware entomologist (insect scientist) Dr. Doug Tallamy, 96% of terrestrial birds—birds other than water birds—rely on insects to reproduce. Most of these depend upon caterpillars to feed their young.
First, plants harvest the sun’s energy to grow their leaves. Then caterpillars eat the leaves. Then reproducing birds eat the caterpillars.
This is a transfer of energy that results in life as we know it. Energy flows from the sun to plants, from plants to caterpillars and from caterpillars to breeding birds.
Birds then serve to propagate plants by eating fruits and seeds and pooping them out some distance from the mother tree.
And not just birds, but nearly all vertebrates (mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibians) depend on insects somewhere in the food chain.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Our role as home gardeners is to give the caterpillars and pollinators something to eat. Mainly, that means native plants. Native plants are the only plants caterpillars can eat, with a few exceptions. And research shows that pollinators prefer native plants.
If we want to plant for pollinators, this video from Flock Finger Lakes, and hosted by Summer Rayne Oakes is an excellent guide.
If we want to feed the caterpillars, please familiarize yourself with the work of Dr. Doug Tallamy. This video Creating a Homegrown National Park is a good place to start.
The traditional lawn contains almost nothing of value to pollinators or caterpillars, or any other insect, spider or bird that may want to share your living space.
OUR CHALLENGE: COMPROMISE
We have a challenge ahead of us: How to readjust our mindset so as to include other living things. To do this, we will need to make compromises.
Those who have traditional taste in landscaping will need to compromise with those who are creating spaces for wild things. And those who are creating spaces for wild things should try to make their landscape look tasteful and intentional. I call this “making sacrifices to the God of Taste.” You enjoy being there, in your home landscape. Take a little time to make it look good, for yourself, your neighbors, your guests, the city and the homeowners association.
Landscaping is not the only ecological problem or the only solution. But it’s where we live, and it’s a great place to start.