Supporting the Local Ecosystem

Sustainability is not just a capitalistic buzz word; it is a series of choices we mere mortals make throughout our day in order to prioritize our relationship with the environment around us. It's the choice between throwing a nursery pot in the trash or holding on to it for 10 years because it's that perfect odd size for a random project.

It's also a good philosophy to keep in mind as your look over your garden choices. We want our landscape to be water-wise, keeping the water on our property instead of flowering onto our neighbors or down the road. Native grasses and shrubs are great for this. The recently exonerated Ashe Juniper actually stabilizes slopes and creates joints and crevices that allow water to reach down deeply while also creating a nursery for other natives to grow up. Now we know that Cedar management is important, and we shouldn't clear them completely.

A resilient landscape is one that doesn't have to be replanted every season. It doesn't require a variety of herbicides and fertilizers to make it work. Sure, there are seasons where the Mountain Laurel doesn't bloom as well, but it rarely dies back completely in our harsh winters and summers.

Back to the Ecosystem. How does this support the birds and the butterflies? The Golden-cheeked Warbler will only create its nest with material from old growth (40-100 years) cedar. If we are indiscriminate in removing these trees, we are creating the destiny for a bird that only breeds in the State of Texas. Enjoy bird watching? Keep an eye out around town for the older Cedar trees with shredding, peeling bark texture.

Many grasses also set the tone for what winter food will look like for birds and browsers. Fall Aster and Shrubby Boneset are staples for the Monarch Butterfly. Turks Cap and Esperanza grow perfect flowers for that hummingbirds we cherish all summer.

With this knowledge, we can make changes to even the smallest landscape, patio, or postage stamp backyard that benefit and take care of the world that is taking care of us.