Connect to nature in your yard: HCT talk offers green landscaping tips
Have you talked to your yard lately? It might be singing the praises of native plants, extolling the virtues of pollinators and urging you to think outside the box of old-school lawn care.
Adding native plants to your yard can attract welcome visitors, like this monarch butterfly. Photo courtesy Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC)
Of course, translating yard-speak is tricky business, especially when it’s covered with snow. That’s why Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) is presenting “A Cape-friendly Landscape: Discovering the Nature Connection,” a fascinating program with Kristin Andres, Director of Education & Outreach for the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC).
The talk will be held on Feb. 28th, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the 204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building, 204 Sisson Road in Harwich. A suggested donation of $5 per person is payable at the door.
“Your yard can be a fun place to try out some interesting choices that are better for the environment,” said Andres. “By adding more native plants, a day in the yard becomes a day of discovery. You can attract a wonderful diversity of nature and see new birds, bees and butterflies.”
Skip the pesticides
If you’re a lawn fan, there are ways to refine your approach to boost plant diversity and reduce harmful effects. “A lawn can be really interesting,” said Andres. “You can infuse it with violets and other flowering, low-growing native plants and ground covers. And you can reduce the size of your lawn, which can be a good step.”
Native plants add beauty to your yard and can be easy to maintain. Photo courtesy Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC)
The big key to a Cape-friendly lawn? “Skip the fertilizers and pesticides,” said Andres. “Pesticides often accompany fertilizers in lawn treatments, and those are bad for all our organisms that require the soil as part of their lifecycle.”
Beyond the beauty and environmental benefits, adding native plants can reduce maintenance time for yards and landscapes. “Once they’re established, you can really take a leisurely approach,” said Andres. “They’re meant to be here. As long as you select the right native species for the location that they are going to be happy in in your yard. They’re going to take off.”
This less work/better results approach really appeals to Andres. “That’s my favorite thing,” she said. “I like to say I’m a lazy gal gardener, because I let nature take its course. I kind of let the plants do what they want to do.”
Greener yards are growing in popularity
Harwich Conservation Trust volunteers install a pollinator garden at the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve in Harwich Port. Harwich Conservation Trust photo
Andres has been educating folks about the benefits of native plants and ecological landscaping for many years, and that message has been gaining traction.
“I’ve seen a big change in folks being more interested in native plants, worried about the pollinators, whether it’s the butterflies or our native bees, many of which are in population decline,” she said. “I think a lot of people who connect with nature are making that connection with their own property.”
Find out more about beautifying your property the natural way with Kristin Andres, at Harwich Conservation Trust’s last Winter Talk of the season. We look forward to seeing you on Feb. 28th, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the 204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building, 204 Sisson Road in Harwich. Your yard will thank you!
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