Restoring Nature Action 1: Design a Layered Landscape

Nature is in trouble, but we can all play a role in helping to restore essential ecological services in our urban and suburban landscapes, including those of us with modest garden space.

Having a vision is an important step for transforming your yard into a natural landscape that supports pollinators and other wildlife, manages water resources, and restores soil health. The first action item in our Restoring Nature series focuses on designing a layered landscape filled with native plants to create a full and abundant habitat. A layered landscape consists of:

• Trees and shrubs of different heights that provide shelter and nesting sites, as well as fruit and nuts, for birds and small mammals.
• Grasses, sedges, and ground cover plants to create protected spots for ground-feeding birds, turtles, and other small creatures.
• Native plants that provide nectar and pollen to support native bees and other beneficial insects and whose foliage is a critical food source for the caterpillar stage of our butterflies and moths, which in turn are critical food sources for young birds. Insects often require specific native plants to meet their needs, so our yards should include diverse native species with particular attention given to keystone plants that support a large number of insect species.

• Trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants buffer the impact of rain on the ground during storm events, and their roots absorb and retain water in the soil and filter and slowly release excess water into the watershed. Including moisture-loving plants of varied heights in boggy areas and installing a densely planted rain garden can further direct and collect rainwater.
• A landscape designed with as many plants as possible—especially trees and shrubs—maximizes the carbon drawn from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis. Retaining the organic matter that those plants produce, including fallen leaves, further contributes to carbon storage, recycles nutrients, builds soil health, and provides habitat for overwintering insects.
• Planting densely, especially at the ground layer, will fill the landscape sooner and can help suppress weeds, discourage invasive plants, and better shade the soil to help retain moisture.

• Keep your efforts manageable and within budget by setting a few tasks for the year, possibly planting some trees and shrubs to create a structure of woody plants for your landscape or focusing on one area in your yard.
• Limit the number of plant species, particularly perennials and ground covers, to three or four, and plant densely rather than adding just a few of many different species. As those plants get established—or don’t—you can move them to other areas and also add new species to fill gaps.
• Check to see if your municipality offers funding or stormwater utility fee credits to property owners for native plant landscaping to better manage stormwater. For example, Arlington County and Alexandria City offer credits on stormwater fees for such improvements.

SMALL SPACE /BALCONY GARDENING TIPS:

For those with small yards or living in apartments, add those layers that fit your space—a few small shrubs, a pollinator garden, or even a few containers for deck, patio, or balcony. Using a trellis for more vertical space and containers planted with a mix of native herbaceous plants of different heights can add layers to these small spaces. See Small Space Gardening for Pollinators for some practical design ideas.