maps. Hike in nature pre-
serves near your house, visit
demonstration gardens,
go on home tours, walks,
and lectures offered by your
area’s native plant society to
learn about the plants of your
region. Note which plants you
like—how do they grow? On
a forest floor? In a meadow?
What do they grow with? Or
do they grow alone? You can
learn more about soil typesand climates that plants
prefer by cross-referencing
their location with specialty
maps on The Biota of North
America Program’s website:
bonap.org. Notice where you
admire the larger structure
of the landscape. It could be
light falling through trees,
or maybe a sense of spa-
ciousness. Understand the
aspects of nature that you
respond to viscerally for
design inspiration.Get to know your yard
Watch the light exposure
morning, midday, and eve-
ning, and consider how it
changes, especially during
the spring and fall when the
sun angle shifts quickly.
What direction does your
house face? Do you have
walls, fences, or trees that
impact light or airflow? Are
you on a hill? How is the
water moving through your
property? Hold a scoop of
soil in your hand to see how
it holds moisture. Get a soil
test—not to change it, but to
know what you’re working
with. Take pictures, draw
maps describing the micro-
climates created by sun,
shade, water, and soil. These
will be your planting zones,
and they’ll help you figure
out what to plant and where
to plant it.THE
AMERICAN
LAWN IS
A LIE!As ubiquitous as
the cropped, green
suburban lawn
is now, it’s not a
naturally occur-
ring landscape in
the U.S. Kentucky
bluegrass is from
Europe and parts
of Asia. Other pop-
ular varieties come
from Africa and
South America.
Lawns as we know
them originated
in the cool, wet
British Isles, where
grasses thrived and
sheep were natural
lawnmowers.
“The idea of a
perfect weed-
free, super-green
monoculture is
a post–World
War II invention,”
says Ted Steinberg,
author of American
Green: The Obses-
sive Quest for the
Perfect Lawn. In
the postwar years,
perfect lawns fit
into the suburban
embrace of bright
colors and easy
living.
And comfort.
Turf really is the
best plant to walk
on. So keep it
where the kids
play and the
dog runs—then
integrate other
plantings around
this space. Let
some weeds grow,
but look at them as
wildflowers.Hike near
your house.
Note which
plants youlike. How do
they grow?
@PopularMechanics _ July/August 2019 75