Biodiversity in your yard

A yard or garden filled with many different kinds of plants, shrubs and trees is better for the environment because it is not only beautiful and healthy, it helps attracts birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife.

Even better, it can be easier to maintain because different plants bloom at different times, covering up areas that are weaker or have finished their growing season. Having all the same plant variety can attract pests, but a more diverse garden can help make it difficult for pests to take control.

You can help create biodiversity in your yard by including a variety of plants and grass species in the landscape. When you select native plants at the nursery or garden centre, they are better suited to surviving in our growing conditions and have developed a natural resistance to many of our local pests.

Sometimes, lawns just don’t work. For shady, dry or difficult slopes consider other plants that make good ground covers. Some of these are hosta, lily of the valley, creeping phlox, Canadian ginseng, periwinkle, bugleweed, sweet woodruff, thyme and creeping juniper.

Experiment with native plants and worry-free landscapes, such as mulched perennial beds or rock and alpine gardens. Once they get started, they are drought resistant and require less work and less water.