Create Wildlife Habitats in Your Backyard

Season after season, homeowners have numerous opportunities to embrace the beauty of nature through native landscaping, creating yards that are vibrant, thriving ecosystems. One Lake Como resident, Jon Gibbons, is leading the charge in his neck of the woods with the Patchwork for Wildlife program he launched in 2017. This initiative encourages neighbors to create eco-friendly habitats, and its success has sparked similar programs in nearby towns.

The ripple effect of these efforts is far-reaching. Homeowners not only contribute to local wildlife conservation, but they also reap financial benefits by reducing the need for expansive lawns and saving on upkeep costs. Plus the decrease in water and fertilizer usage fosters a more sustainable, cost-effective environment for everyone.

Pollination in Action: A bumblebee doing its job with a milkweed plant. Image credit: Kirsten Siroano

What is Native Landscaping? Coastal Resilience along the Jersey Shore

Native landscaping involves using plants indigenous to a specific region to create gardens that thrive naturally in the local climate. These plants are well-suited to the soil, weather patterns, and wildlife, making them resilient and low-maintenance. They also support local biodiversity by providing food and shelter for native pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

Along the Jersey Shore, challenges like erosion and storm surges are persistent concerns. Native plants, such as beach grasses, play a vital role in stabilizing dunes, reducing storm impacts, and preventing erosion. These salt-tolerant species act as a natural barrier, protecting the shoreline while preserving its coastal beauty. Coastal natives like beach plums, bayberries, and seaside goldenrods are key to safeguarding the Shore's delicate ecosystems, ensuring their resilience for years to come.

Install Monarch Waystations

As we work to protect and enhance the coastal environment, it’s also essential to focus on supporting our pollinators. Monarch butterflies, in particular, have faced a significant decline due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides along their migratory routes. One way to help these iconic butterflies is by installing Monarch Waystations—gardens that provide food, shelter, and breeding areas. By incorporating milkweed (the only plant monarch larvae feed on) and nectar-rich flowers, homeowners, municipalities, businesses, and schools can transform their landscape into a Monarch Waystation, supporting monarchs and other pollinators. Visit MonarchWatch.org  to learn how to get certified.

Jersey-Friendly Yards Goes Statewide

Jersey-Friendly Yards, a certification program that promotes environmentally responsible landscaping, is celebrating big news. Originally focused on the Barnegat Bay area, it now offers statewide certification to homeowners across New Jersey. The program recognizes yards that support native wildlife, conserve water, and reduce pesticide use. By becoming certified, participants help protect local wildlife, especially along the Jersey Shore, where coastal ecosystems are vulnerable. A Jersey-Friendly certified yard with eco-friendly landscaping can enhance property value, as it appeals to prospective buyers. Homeowners also become part of a broader, statewide movement to improve New Jersey’s environmental health.

Spring Lake homeowner Syd Whalley and horticulturist Kirsten Siroano, ELD landscape designer stand with a Jersey-friendly Witchhazel plant. Its fragrant, cream-to-yellow flowers with tassle-like, crumpled petals bloom September-December.

Patchwork for Wildlife: A Growing Initiative

Like Jersey-Friendly Yards and the Monarch Waystation program, the Patchwork for Wildlife initiative encourages residents to make environmentally friendly improvements in their yards to create eco-friendly habitats. Homeowners in the Lake Como area who meet certain criteria, such as installing semi-pervious driveways and creating native plant gardens, can certify their yards with Patchwork for Wildlife.

Gibbons created "Candide’s Garden," transforming his property into a teaching garden. The garden integrates over 80 environmental features, including native plants, stormwater management, and composting, and serves as a model for sustainable practices. Some of Gibbons’ favorite native plants include Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush), Camassia scilloides (Wild Hyacinth), and Halesia carolina (Carolina Silver Bell), which attract wildlife and offer ecological benefits. He also recommends that businesses and homeowners consider alternatives to traditional lawns, such as "No Mow Grass" from Prairie Nursery and native low-growing fescues, which require fewer resources and no fertilizers.

A Northern Mockingbird enjoys the winter fruit of the NJ native Common Winterberry, a deciduous holly with very showy, bright red, berry-like fruits from late fall through winter.

Manicured in the Wild

Horticulturist and ELD landscape designer Kirsten Soriano gave us a tour of a beautiful home in Spring Lake. We explored this winter yard in all its glory on one of the coldest days of the season, but the birds were still heartily devouring berries from the tree. This manicured property is a prime example of how homeowners can turn their yards into wildlife escapes simply by planting select native species.

Want to know one of Soriano’s favorite sources for native plants? My Backyard At Nectars in Titusville, NJ, a small garden center emphasizing native and pollinator-friendly plants. Read up on them on Facebook.  

Native Landscaping Design: A Win-Win for New Jersey Homeowners

By embracing native landscaping, homeowners can positively impact the environment while creating beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor spaces. Programs like Monarch Waystation certification, Jersey-Friendly Yards, and Patchwork for Wildlife offer opportunities for homeowners to participate in broader efforts to restore biodiversity and ensure the health of ecosystems for future generations.

Until next time, peace.