For a long time, Vermont landscaping has been shaped by manicured lawns and non-native shrubs. This familiar style can look appealing, but it often comes with hidden costs, including ongoing maintenance, increased chemical use, and recurring insect problems. These problems point to an ecological imbalance. Native insects depend on native plants, and those insects are the base of the food webs that support birds, mammals, amphibians, and healthy soils. When native plants are removed, native insects struggle to survive, biodiversity declines, and pest problems become more complicated to manage, requiring more human input to keep the landscape functioning. Climate instability has made these weaknesses even clearer, since many imported plants can only persist with heavy watering, fertilizing, and pest control. Native landscaping offers a more stable alternative by working with Vermont’s natural conditions rather than imposing uniformity. By observing sun, shade, soil moisture, drainage, and exposure, and choosing native species suited to those realities, yards can become more resilient, lower-maintenance, and full of life. In this approach, a property becomes part of Vermont’s ecosystem rather than just a visual design. Access the Full Article...