Sustainable living › Home improvement › Native plants
Find out how native plants are good for people, pets, the planet and your pocketbook.
Many people use pesticides, chemicals and fertilizers to keep their gardens and yards pest-free and green. These harmful chemicals are washed into rivers and streams when in rains, causing risks to human health and fish and wildlife.
Native plants are drought- and disease-resistant so they require less water and do not need pesticides, chemicals or fertilizers to thrive. When combined with natural gardening techniques like composting, planting natives helps keep gardens, yards, rivers and streams healthy and safe for families, pets and wildlife.
Native plants are "born and raised" in the local environment; they have 'grown up' together with native wildlife and insects. So including native plants in your back yard or landscaping provides the best food and shelter for the native species that call the Pacific Northwest home. Remember, native plants attract native bugs, and native bugs attract native birds and wildlife.
Native plants and natural gardening practices:
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