Gardening is a great way to get outside and even grow some of your own food. But pollinating visitors can be an eco-friendly bonus.
Ashley R. King (@ashleyrkingwrites) is a TikTok creator sharing home and garden content. In one clip, she shows how her pollinator garden brings beneficial fauna to her yard. It features a lovely raised garden bed with pink, red, and yellow flowers. Upon closer inspection, eagle-eyed viewers will notice a "gorgeous green hummingbird" flitting from flower to flower and a cute butterfly.
@ashleyrkingwrites Can you spot the gorgeous green hummingbird and the swallowtail butterfly in our raised bed garden? We've been having the most lovely visitors in both gardens lately and it makes me so happy! 💜🦋✨💜 #garden #spring #hummingbird #butterflies #springflowers #gardeningtok ♬ original sound 𝔄𝔰𝔥𝔩𝔢𝔶 ℜ. 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤
In addition to being nice to look at, backyard visitors such as hummingbirds and butterflies benefit the local ecosystem.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, "Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals." Pollinators protect our food supply, so gardens like Ashley's help both the local ecosystem and the food supply.
A great way to encourage local pollinators is to rewild by growing native plants in your yard and garden. The Audubon Society notes that restoring native plant habitats is vital to preserving biodiversity. "Native plants are those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved," it says. "Without them and the insects that co-evolved with them, local birds cannot survive."
Cutting down on fertilizer and pesticides used on traditional lawns will bring in more wildlife and help increase biodiversity on your property. Plus, avoiding these products can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
Another important effect of rewilding your monoculture lawn with native flora is creating a healthier yard while saving money and water.
The U.S. Forest Service says that "native plants require less water than lawns and help prevent erosion" and "help reduce air pollution" because they remove carbon pollution from the air and do not require as much mowing.
Even a partial lawn replacement allows homeowners to reap these benefits. You can convert your lawn to an eco-friendly and low-maintenance alternative at a fairly low cost.
Budget- and eco-friendly lawn alternatives include native plants, clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping. According to PBS News, "Xeriscaping is a landscaping method that aims to use as little water as possible while still maintaining aesthetically pleasing and eco-friendly landscaping." It helps conserve water and enables pollinators and plants to thrive in dry environments.
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How often will you be gardening this summer? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Every day 🥗 For inspiration, Martha Stewart has some beautiful project suggestions for grass lawn alternatives, from gravel gardens to meadow, moss, or clover lawns.
In addition to the environmental benefits of a natural lawn and garden, native plants and the animals they attract are beautiful to look at. Take Ashley's video, for example.
Viewers were impressed with her backyard visitors.
One person commented, "Love seeing nature in action."
Another nature lover wrote, "Absolutely beautiful, the garden and the hummingbirds looked so alive!"
Finally, someone simply added, "Beautiful."
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